


To Kill A King

by Turntechgodliness (AmberzillaRex)



Series: The LSCS Chronicles [10]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, How Gavin met Burnie, M/M, Pre-Fake AH Crew days, Violence, mentioned abuse of a minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-02
Updated: 2016-08-19
Packaged: 2018-07-11 19:28:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 30,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7067029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberzillaRex/pseuds/Turntechgodliness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before there was the Fake AH Crew, before Geoff Ramsey took over the streets of Los Santos, Burnie Burns and the RT crew were the big name on the streets. Big names make big enemies; even from gangs outside of the country. Enter Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy, two young men without much choice who are just doing what they have to trying to get by. </p><p>One man's assassination attempt could mean one man's salvation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So! Hello! This is the next part of the Los Santos Crime Syndicate series- a prequel that explains how Gavin came to be with Burnie. I hope you all enjoy it!

Gavin Free had never considered himself to be what people might call an assassin. 

A hacker, sure- he was one of the best in the business, according to Interpol and the FBI’s files. A con man, certainly; he could talk almost anyone into anything, given enough time. A mercenary? That was more Dan’s call title, but Gavin had done his fair share of hits when the need arose. If the boss wanted a job done fast, Dan would be sent in with guns blazing to take out whoever was causing the issue. 

But long cons, those were Gavin’s. He’d always had an ability to seamless fall into any role; sweet and sensitive to cold and calculating, he was capable of pulling off any facade he was called upon to do. Dan had always prided himself on being the only person to know the real Gavin, the one behind the multiple masks, and he prided himself in his ability to know when Dan’s tough act was just that- an act. 

“Did you hear me, Gavin? I need you to get close enough to Burns that you can take him out once you have his account codes. He has enough men that it will be difficult otherwise. Will that be an issue?” Gavin rolled his eyes- a task most wouldn't be daring enough to partake in with Interpol’s most feared crime lord staring him in the face- and waved his hand dismissively at the man. 

“Of course not. From what I’ve read he has a bit of a hero complex, I should be more than able to use that against him. “ He was confident in his abilities, and had no major concerns about his cover- already established as a slow motion cinematographer, his cover had been hired on by Burns Enterprises to film some commercial bits for the company. He was going to have back up- Dan would be with him throughout the whole thing, and even if he hadn't been told to go along Gavin was more than capable of handling himself. Beside him, Dan gave him a fixed look as Jared Kingston, leader of the Queen’s Men, came around their side of the table to grasp Gavin’s face, fingers digging into the soft skin along his jaw as he stared down at the young man. 

“If you fuck this up, that's it. You won’t be leaving my sight again. It’ll be house arrest again, Gavin. Do you understand?” Gavin glared back, remaining perfectly still until his face was released. 

“Yeah, I bloody well get it. I don’t need a lecture, Jared. It’s not like you let me forget that you’re keeping me locked up here. “ Jared grabbed Gavin’s arm, pulling him from his chair harshly and holding him in front of him, giving him a harsh shake. 

“Remember who you belong to, you insolent brat. I could have done a lot worse when your parents owed me that money. “ Gavin held back a wince as the fingers on his arm tightened, opting for a blank stare instead. Jared sneered, giving him a shove into the table as he turned to storm out of the room, and Dan immediately came to his side, helping him up with a frown as Gavin dusted himself off. 

“Why do you do that, B?” Gavin glanced at Dan, pausing in rubbing his jaw to take in the worried look the other teen gave him. “You know that he’s just going to stick you back into that room and not give you the chance to even go to America if you keep at it.” Gavin sighed, shifting some as he checked his arm (that was going to bruise, another addition to the collection) before looking at the map that was spread out on the table before them. He reached out, brushing his fingers in a line from their home town to where Los Santos was.

“Nothing is keeping me from going to America, Dan. He’s got no other choices, I’m the only one who can do this. They’ve already hired me.” Dan sighed, running a hand through his hair before moving to gently take Gavin’s arm, looking over the marks.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Gavin scoffed, allowing Dan to inspect his arm as he made a noise of discontent at his friend's question. 

“I’m amply prepared if that's what you mean, B. It’s not like I’ve never done this before. And Americans can't help but trust an adorable Brit.” Dan snorted, letting Gavin have his arm back as he settled on the table beside him, his leg crinkling the map some as he shifted to get comfortable on the wooden surface. 

“You might have to make this bloke fall for you, B. Are you prepared for that?” Gavin gave a half hearted shrug, settling in the chair in front of Dan and watching him silently for a moment before leaning to rest his forehead against the other man's stomach. 

“I can pull it off. Got Jared to be batty over me, didn’t I?” His tone was cheerful, but Dan knew him well enough to know that any smile the other had didn’t reach his eyes. He brought his hand to tangle in Gavin’s hair, giving a soft sigh as slim fingers curled in the hem of his shirt, tightening slightly on the fabric as Dan’s fingers rubbed against Gavin’s scalp lightly. 

“I’m not worried about you getting him to to fall for you, B. And I know I’ll be right with you the whole time, Gav. I won’t let anyone hurt you. But I still worry about you when you have to do it. “ Gavin looked up, smiling fondly at Dan as he tugged the other man closer to press a light kiss to the other man’s mouth. 

“I know you won’t, Dan. I trust you with my life, you know that.” He paused a moment, then grinned at him. “We should go finish packing.“ Dan smiled, shaking his head as he slid off of the table to help Gavin out of his chair. 

“You know, that’s not always going to work in derailing our conversations, B. You can’t just kiss me quiet.” Gavin waggled his eyebrows at Dan, and the larger man laughed as he placed his hands on Gavin’s shoulders, spinning him to face the door. “Let’s go finish packing.” Gavin chuckled, but let Dan steer him out of the conference room and down the hall towards their rooms. The two rooms were separate, though a simple door divided the two and was often left open between them whenever Jared allowed it. Pushing open the door to his room, Gavin made his way to the bed where he had his suitcase opened and sat down, waiting for Dan to sit with him before he began to pack the remainder of his clothes. 

“We should get ready. It’s going to be a long flight.”


	2. Chapter 2

Los Santos was so much warmer than London had been. The heat was almost oppressive, heavy and overwhelming after the long flight they’d taken, and Dan could almost see Gavin wilting under the hot sun even indoors. He steered the smaller man into the lobby as he took a look around for the driver Burns had told them would be waiting for them. He spotted a sign with Gavin’s false name on it in the sea of people, and waved wildly at the disgruntled looking man holding it. The man lowered the sign, making his way to them before stopping in front of them, taking in the two young men as Gavin gave a yawn before giving the man a sleepy smile. 

“Are you Gavin Poole?” The man was maybe ten years older than they were, with tattoos up his arms and a scruffy beard under tired eyes and an unimpressed look; and as Gavin gave a nod the man let out a relieved sigh, tucking the sign under his arm and turning his curious gaze to Dan. “Who the fuck are you?” Dan frowned, glancing at Gavin before turning his attention back to the man. 

“Dan. I’m Gavin’s assistant.” The man snorted, taking in the two of them for a moment before shaking his head, gesturing for them to follow him as he turned to head out of the airport lobby. 

“Look more like a body guard, dude. What sort of assistance does a teenaged film maker need?” Dan steered Gavin around obstacles as they walked, the other man still half asleep from the plane ride, and gave a shrug at the man’s words. 

“Carrying stuff, helping with shot set ups… stuff like that. Making sure he sleeps and eats. Sorry, what was your name again?” The man chuckled, leading them out to an old pickup truck before reaching to take their bags from them, putting them in the back before unlocking the doors. 

“Geoff Ramsey. I work for Burnie, as I’m sure you figured out, unless getting into strange mens cars is something you do a lot of.” Gavin snorted, crawling into the middle of the bench seat next to Geoff as Dan scowled at the implication of Geoff’s words. 

“I do often find myself getting into the vehicles of strange men, Mr. Ramsey. Occasionally, they even give me candy.” Geoff made a face, and Gavin grinned as Dan settled into the seat beside him, closing the door. 

“Dude, don’t call me Mr. Ramsey. That makes me feel old as dicks. Just Geoff’s fine.” Gavin and Dan exchanged an amused look, and Dan cleared his throat as he leant to watch Geoff start up the truck. 

“Well alright Just Geoff. If you insist.” Geoff let out a groan, and Gavin leaned back against the back of the sat, beaming at the older man. 

“So where are you taking us, Just Geoff?” Geoff shot him a look as he pulled away from the curb, shifting gears as the two younger men watched the scenery outside the vehicle. 

“Burnie wants you to go straight to the office so he can meet you. Apparently you were hard to book. What are you, some sort of prodigy or something? You don’t look that special. You look like a twink.” Dan bristled slightly, and Gavin chuckled as he laid a hand on Dan’s arm. 

“I’m just good at what I do. Actually, a friend recommended me to Mr. Burns. I am rather busy in the U.K though, so take that how you may.” Geoff shot him a look, then turned his attention back to the road. They drove in silence for a few minutes before Dan cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. 

“So, Mr.Burns….what’s he like then?” They had discussed it some on the plane ride over; Jared hadn’t given them much to go by, simply describing the man as the head of the top gang of Los Santos. They knew nothing of Michael Burns, about his personality or his life outside of the fact that he was supposedly running Los Santos. Any insight into the man would be helpful. 

“Burnie? He’s pretty chill. I mean he’s all business when he needs to be, but he’s a nice guy. Genuine and shit.” Dan nodded, and beside him Gavin nudged Geoff slightly with his elbow. 

“What about you, Just Geoff?” Geoff snorted, shoving his elbow into Gavin’s side and causing the younger man to cough as he hummed slightly. 

“If you don’t stop that, I’m going to push you out of this moving truck at 120 mph, fucking commercial prodigy or not. I’m pretty laid back but don’t make me pissed.” Gavin rubbed his side, but beamed at Geoff as he shifted a bit closer to Dan. 

“Oh, I think I like you, Geoffrey. We’re going to be friends.” Gavin spoke it matter-of-factly, and Geoff tossed him a look before turning his attention back to the road. “And Mr. Burns sounds lovely. I hope he’s not secretly a mong.” Geoff sputtered, causing Dan to grin as the older man cast another look at Gavin. 

“What the hell is a mong?” Dan and Gavin giggled, the two watching the American as he returned his eyes to the road in front of him. 

“You know! A mong. It’s like… well it’s a mong, isn’t it? A dope.” Dan chuckled as Geoff turned off of the freeway, and beside him Gavin gave a large yawn as he leaned against Dan’s shoulder. “Is anyone going to be upset if I sleep through this ride? I’m well exhausted.” Dan shrugged a little and beside Gavin, Geoff shook his head. 

“No, go ahead dude. It’ll be another like, half an hour before we get to the office. Flights always knock me right out so i get it man.” Gavin smiled at Geoff’s words, curling up against Dan the best he could in the truck seat. A moment later he was out, snoring softly, and Dan gave him a soft smile as he dropped an arm over him. Geoff cast them a look, brow raised curiously. “You two a, uh, thing?” Dan looked up from where he’d been watching Gavin startled, blinking at Geoff a moment before shaking his head. 

“No. Not really. We’re just pretty close. Grew up together and all.” He squinted at Geoff a moment. “Why? Would that be an issue if we were?” Geoff snorted, shaking his head. 

“Nah dude. That’d be pot and kettle bullshit if there was. I was just curious. I don't think I've ever seen someone shoot another person so many glares over some passing jokes before without them being in a relationship is all. “ Dan flushed some, and Geoff made a noise of understanding as he turned onto a new road. “Ahhhh. It's like that then. “ Dan frowned, fixing Geoff with a careful look. 

“Like what, exactly?” Geoff shrugged, reaching to flick on the radio as he turned into traffic, and Dan settled back in his seat as the older man gave a little hum. 

“Look, kid, if you have the hots for your bestie there, I’m not going to judge. Power to you. Just make sure he does his job and we’ll all get along. Burnie’s got a lot riding on this stupid commercial, and I don’t want to have to listen to him bitching about it being a flop.” Dan’s frown remained as he took in Geoff’s easy posture; clearly the man didn’t think them anything more than two young men with a video camera. That worked in their favor; if Burns had sent Ramsey to pick them up, then he was either a grunt or a close friend. The way that Geoff spoke in regards to Burns made Dan believe that it was the latter; no grunt spoke that way of a boss, even a good one. If Geoff was close to Burns, then they could potentially get to Burns through Geoff. 

“I’m going to just… yeah. Gavin and I are just friends. And Gavin’s going to shoot the best commercial you’ve ever seen for your… what sort of company is Burns Enterprises anyways?” Geoff glanced at him, giving a snicker as Dan frowned. 

“You don’t even know what sort of company we are?” Dan shook his head and Geoff gave a full out laugh. “Burns Enterprises is a media business. It basically runs Rooster Corps; I’m sure you heard of them.” Dan nodded, settling back in his seat as he gave a hum. 

“Yeah, they make those web series that Gavin likes to watch. Uh...something about colours or something. Not really my thing.” Or, really, he hadn’t the time to watch the shows with Gavin, always off doing work for Jared. “Neat. Well, that’s probably why Gavin jumped on the chance to work with Burns then.” Geoff shrugged, and between them Gavin shifted in his sleep. Dan adjusted against him, watching him for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Geoff. “How long until we reach the office?” Geoff gave a small shrug, turning off of the highway onto a main road. 

“About fifteen minutes.” Dan nodded, settling back to wait out the rest of the ride in silence. Geoff switched the radio on, 90’s punk rock filtering through the speakers as they drove, and Dan watched the scenery pass them. Los Santos was brighter than England had been- everything had a fake sheen to it, like the entire city had been polished to a shine and then glossed to keep the effect. The people on the streets dressed as though they were going to a party in the middle of the day; expensive dresses and sharp suits at every stop sign, joggers in designer sweats making their way down the crowded streets. Fake tans and fake smiles, everything in the city seemed so… fake, really, and Dan almost couldn’t wait for the job to be done. England was home, was familiar, and even though returning to England meant returning to Jared, at least he’d be in his comfort zone. 

“B, why are you squinting out the window like it owes you money?” Dan turned his attention back to Gavin, who had woken up as Geoff drove over a particularly large pot hole, giving him a smile as he ruffled Gavin’s hair. 

“Everything’s just so bright here, B. S’not like England, yeah?” Gavin chuckled, sitting up some and stretching slightly. 

“We’ll have to get you kids some sunglasses if this is bright for you, man. Los Santos shines like a fucking flashlight in the eyes most days.” Geoff’s words caused Gavin to look at him, the younger man chuckling at the description. 

“I’d love some sunnies, Geoff. England’s a lot more grey than Los Santos. Might get a headache here.” He grinned, nudging Dan slightly as he looked out the window at the street around them. 

“Though, you know… I might end up liking it here.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took longer than anticipated to finish; I've been having a rough time feeling adequate with my writing and I didn't want to put out something that felt sub-par. But here is the next chapter!

The building that housed the offices for Burns Enterprises sat snugly cradled between a coffee shop and a dance studio in downtown Los Santos, a plastic sign the only indication that the production company sat inside. The small parking area for the offices sat in the back of the building, the parking spots marked with a large ‘BE’ painted in each space- one of which Geoff pulled into with the practiced ease of someone who made the trip into the office daily. Turning off the truck, he turned to the two younger men to watch them a moment. 

“Alright. So Burnie is waiting to meet you, but he has like, four meetings this afternoon so Gus is probably going to try to shoo you guys out like...five minutes into your meeting. That’s fine, ‘cause I’m going to take you guys to my place, which is where you’ll be staying for tonight. There was a fuck up with your hotel room I guess, and I have a spare room...hope you’re okay to share.” He flashed a smirk at Dan, who scowled at the older man before reaching towards the door. 

“I’m sure we’re more than capable of sharing a room for the night.” Gavin’s cheerful statement caused Geoff to chuckle as Dan shoved the door open, his laughter growing as Dan held open the door for Gavin. Dan shot him a look as he closed the door, Gavin bouncing towards the building completely oblivious to the other two men’s interaction behind him. Geoff gestured for Dan to follow Gavin, and brought up the rear as the three entered the building. Gavin lead the way down the hall they had entered in at, moving towards the front of the building with a curious interest at every door they came across. Most held average office equipment; desks and filing cabinets, conference tables and a break room. A few doors were closed; Geoff gently steered the two men away from them, and Gavin made sure to make note of which doors they were for later. Pushing open the door to the lobby, he spotted a reception desk with a blonde haired lady talking animatedly into a phone. Approaching the desk, he leant against it and waited for the woman to finish her phone call before flashing her a grin. 

“Hello love! I’m Gavin Poole, here to see Mr. Burns? I think he’s expecting me.” The lady rose a brow, glancing at Geoff as he moved to stand behind the younger man. 

“I didn’t expect Burnie to hire a teenager.” Gavin made an affronted noise as Geoff gave a laugh, turning to make a face as Geoff cleared his throat. 

“He’s apparently really good at what he does, Kara. I can’t imagine Burnie would have him here if he wasn’t. He in there?” Geoff nodded towards the door behind Kara, who nodded and gave a wave of her hand. 

“He’s in there. Gus is with him, they’re getting ready for their meeting with Westridge.” She shot a look towards Gavin, who stared innocently at her before turning to mutter something to Dan. Looking back at Geoff, she fixed him with an unimpressed look and nodded for him to go into the room. “Don’t take long.” Geoff waved at her, moving past the desk to open the door and enter the room. Gavin and Dan followed, Dan leading the way as he evaluated the two men who greeted them in the room. The man seated at the desk seemed to be nodding at the other’s words as the second man listed off names and numbers to him, and both looked up as the three entered the room. 

“Burnie, Gus, this is Gavin Poole and his assistant, Dan.” Geoff gestured to the two younger men, and the man who had been listing off information took a stepped forward, nodding to Dan. 

“Mr. Poole. I’m Gus Sorola, I’ll be your liaison with the company while you’re here to shoot the video.” Dan gave an embarrassed cough, taking a step to the side to drag Gavin in front of him as he gave a nervous chuckle. 

“Uh. Lovely to meet you, mate, but I’m not… this is Gavin Poole. Not me. I’m Dan, his assistant.” Gus stared at Gavin a moment, brow furrowed, before turning to the other man with a disgruntled look. 

“Burnie, you hired a baby. What the hell were you thinking?” Gavin placed his hands on his hips and frowned, and the man at the desk, Burnie, chuckled as he stood up, extending a hand to Gavin.

“Don’t be rude, Gus. Gavin’s one of the top slow motion cinematographers around, and I got him at a great price. I’m Michael Burns, but please call me Burnie. Was your flight alright?” Gavin nodded as he took the hand and shook it, taking a moment to take in the man before him. He couldn’t help but note that Michael Burns was an attractive man who held an air of ease about him, and he pushed down the urge to flush as Burnie turned to offer his hand to Dan as well. 

“It was alright. I’m not much bothered by flying, but it was a bit early for my liking. Dan doesn’t like flying though, do you Dan?” Dan shrugged, and Gavin offered his friend a pat on the arm. “If it’s alright with you, Mr. Bur- Burnie, I’d like to settle down for the evening and begin work in the morning? Flights make me exhausted... “ He gave the older man a coy grin, shifting some and enjoying the way Burnie’s eyes followed his movements. There was potential; Burns’ attention was easily drawn to him, which meant the opportunity might arise for Gavin to get close to the other man. Burnie nodded, turning to Geoff to offer the older man a smile as he moved to sit in his seat again. 

“Has Geoff filled you in on where you’ll be staying tonight? I’m sorry for the inconvenience, the hotel we arranged for you had a fire last night so we’re trying to book you a new place. I promise you won’t be stuck in Geoff’s spare room too long.” Both Gavin and Dan smiled, and Burnie gave a small nod. “Good, good. Alright. I’ll see the two of you in the morning; Geoff, you’re okay to bring them into the studio before you head out tomorrow?” Geoff nodded, and Burnie gave a little mock salute. “Great. Alright, I’ll see you three tomorrow then. I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have a meeting that I have to be in.” The three watched as Burnie moved to gather his things, and Geoff turned to lead them out into the lobby, tossing a half hearted ‘see ya boss’ over his shoulder as he closed the door behind them. They stood awkwardly for a moment before Gavin shifted on his heels, giving a hum before starting towards the door that they had come through. 

“He seems lovely. Quite a looker, too. This should be a good time.” Dan snorted beside him, and Geoff let out a chuckle as he let Gavin lead them back to the parking lot. 

“Don’t get your hopes up, kid. Stick to someone your own age. Burnie’s not interested in little boys.” Gavin scowled, shoving open the door to the parking lot as they came to it and making his way moodily back to the truck as Dan shot Geoff a scathing look, unimpressed with the gleeful look on the older man’s face. 

“I never said I wanted to have a go at him, Geoffrey. It’ll just be nice to work alongside someone who isn’t five million years old or a freight to look at. Honestly. You make it seem like I’d try it on with him.” Geoff laughed, reaching to ruffle Gavin’s hair before moving to unlock the truck. Once everyone was settled inside, he turned the truck on before glancing at Gavin out of the corner of his eye, sizing him up. 

“I dunno, if I didn’t think I’d get fired for taking a tumble with you in the proverbial haystack I’d take you home in a non-business manner. Your nose is almost a deal breaker but you aren’t too bad on the eyes, kid. Provided you’re, you know, actually legal. Never trust Europeans, man, you all age weird.” Wrinkling his nose, Gavin shifted away from Geoff slightly as he fixed him with a look. 

“Excuse you, Geoffrey, I am nineteen, perfectly legal. And my nose is perfectly sized for my face I’ll have you know.” Geoff snorted, and Gavin gave a little huff of discontent as he turned his face from the older man. “My face is aesthetically pleasing. I’ll have you know people love my face back home.” Dan stiffened slightly, his thoughts focusing on Jared and the way he’d grasped Gavin’s face before they had left; Gavin was right in that people in the warehouse did like seeing his face around, though he thought it might have more to do with the fact that the man was a small ball of sunshine and sass, and less to do with it’s actual pleasing features.

“I think you can do better than old Americans, Gav.” Dan interjected, casting a glare over the top of Gavin’s head to Geoff, who snickered. Gavin smiled at Dan, shifting in his seat as he adjusted the seat belt over him before turning his attention towards the view passing them by. 

“I don’t know, old American’s could be interesting, B. They could teach me how to say yeehaw and shoot guns.” Geoff chuckled, shaking his head as he cast a glance at the two men beside him before focusing on the road again. 

“If you want to learn how to say yeehaw and how to shoot a gun, I should introduce you to my friend. He’s from the south, good at both those things.” Gavin raised a brow, and Dan shifted to nudge the other man lightly with a smirk. 

“Not sure I’d trust Gavin with a gun, mate. He’s a bit...clumsy.” It wasn’t a complete lie; Gavin certainly had his moments of clumsiness, but when he had to be, he could be a vision of grace. It always worked in their favor for people to see Gavin as a clumsy, non-threatening person- no one suspected the klutz to be the one to take them out. 

“Well, you’ll probably meet him tomorrow morning before we leave for the office, he usually stops in for breakfast. And you’ll meet my roommate, Jack.” Gavin nodded, and Geoff reached to turn on the radio as they continued to drive. After a few songs, Dan cleared his throat, catching Geoff’s attention. 

“So what exactly is your job at Burns Enterprises, Geoff?” Gavin turned slightly to face Geoff better, interest piqued as the older man’s expression grew thoughtful. 

“I’m pretty much a grunt, man. Do what needs to be done, make sure Burnie’s got what he needs. Been working for him awhile now, can’t complain about it. He’s a good dude to work for.” Dan nodded, and Gavin gave a small hum. 

“To be honest, I was expecting some sort of stern mob boss person from the emails I’ve been exchanging with him. But he seems lovely so far.” He chuckled, shifting up in his seat some. “Though you learn the true personality of a person when you work with them on a commercial shoot, so we’ll see. Maybe he is secretly a big bad boss type.” Geoff’s attention focused on Gavin a moment, as though trying to pick out an underlying tone in his words, before giving a little shrug. 

“If Burnie were a mob boss, he’d be the kind that’s ridiculously fair about everything. And he’d give back to the community.” Geoff’s words had a slight hard edge to them, and Gavin fell silent as beside him, Dan gave a little nod. 

“I’ll have to keep that in mind… if he were a mob boss, that is. Luckily, he’s just a CEO of a multimedia business, right?” Geoff nodded, and Dan flashed a dopey grin. “That’s that then. Are you feeding us? I’m starved, they had shite on the plan.” Geoff snorted, shaking his head as he pulled onto a cul-de-sac. 

“I suppose I could see to it that you were fed. Burnie probably wouldn’t be too happy if I let his shiny new temp hires die of starvation or anything.” Dan chuckled, and Gavin watched the houses pass them by as they turned down another street. The neighbourhood they had turned into seemed fairly suburban; far different than what the two younger men had expected from Geoff’s demeanor and beat up truck. After a moment, they pulled into the driveway of a nice looking two story home, greeted by a bearded red head who seemed to be struggling with a garden hose. Dan let himself out of the truck, moving to untangle the hose from the man with a smile as Geoff and Gavin followed at a more sedate pace, Geoff holding their bags. 

“Let me help you with that. I’m going to guess you’re… Jack? Geoff’s roommate?” The man nodded with a chuckle, and Gavin moved to pick up the mans glasses from where they had fallen on the ground. Holding them out to Jack, he gave a smile. 

“I’m Gavin, and this is Dan. It appears we’ll be staying with the two of you tonight; I hope that’s not too much of an inconvenience?” Jack shook his head, taking the glasses to put on before offering the two of them his hand. 

“Not at all. We’re use to housing people for a few days, it’ll be nice having some company around. Geoff’s not really a morning person, but I’m usually up pretty early if you need anything.” Gavin liked the way that the older man grinned, taking the hand and shaking it before flashing a thumbs up.

“Sounds good! I’m usually up fairly early, but Dan here likes to sleep in. We shouldn’t be in your way though, we’ll be spending most of our time doing the commercial shoots so you won’t have to worry too much about entertaining.” Jack nodded, and Geoff moved to go into the house, lugging their bags behind him. Gavin followed him with Dan trailing behind, quietly chatting with Jack as Geoff led them on a tour of the house that ended in the spare bedroom. 

“And this is where you’ll sleep for now. You guys can get settled, I’m going to start supper… any allergies?” Both Dan and Gavin shook their heads, and Geoff nodded. “Alrighty then. One of us will come up and get you when supper ready then.” Gavin gave a salute before turning to collapse onto the bed, and Dan made sure to shut the door behind the two older men as they left. 

“Well, this could be worse.” Gavin made a noise of agreement, and Dan settled onto the bed beside him, stretching out. “I’ll take a poke in a mo’, B.” Code for doing a sweep for bugs; the two men didn’t trust that the room wasn’t bugged, and as Gavin shifted to roll onto his side, he gave a grunt. 

“Alright then, B. I might nap some more.” Dan nodded, ruffling Gavin’s hair, and Gavin settled onto the bed, letting out a sigh as he let himself relax, falling into a light snooze.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late posting this chapter, whoops. It's my wedding anniversary, and I injured myself at work the other day, so things have been hectic. But have some Burnie and Gus!

“I need you to move three steps to your right and turn slightly towards me, love. Tilt your head up some and… alright, start scene now.” Gavin peered through the viewfinder of the Phantom to make sure that the shot was lined up, and Burnie shifted from where he was leaning against the far wall, his gaze shifting slightly from the camera to the man behind it. 

“He’s surprisingly good for someone who looks like he belongs in a European gay bar.I didn’t actually think he knew what he was doing when he showed up but I’m honestly surprised.” Burnie glanced behind him at Gus’ words, frowning slightly before turning back to watch as Gavin moved to shift the actors around on the set. 

“Do you really think I’d hire him if he wasn’t any good, Gus? Give me some credit.” Gus rolled his eyes, giving Burnie a small nudge as he nodded towards the filming in front of them. 

“Burnie, you took one look at the kid when Johnson recommended him and jumped on getting him here. He’s a good looking guy but come on. He’s sort of annoying.” Burnie frowned some, his eyes following Gavin as he moved to adjust some lighting, before turning to look at Gus properly. 

“Please. I didn’t just fly him here because he’s cute, Gus. Did you even bother watching the samples he sent? He’s really good. And a good commercial could bring in new viewers.” Gus grumbled under his breath, and both men jumped as behind them, someone spoke. 

“And more viewers mean more money spent on merchandise, which means more money for us, which means you can fund a heist for my gold. When are we going to get my gold, Burnie. You promised me.” Both men turned to look at the man standing behind them, and Burnie let out a huff of breath as he shifted to pat the man’s shoulder. 

“Joel. Please. Stop. You just scared the shit out of me. And I told you, if you can find the gold bars, we will try to get them. Jesus.” Joel frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant his hip against the wall, and Burnie cleared his throat as he nodded towards the other man’s attire. “So uh. What brings you here, officer?” 

“There’s a rumor that Kingston sent an assassin overseas to deal with you. The Commissioner wants us to just let it happen, so there won’t be any police interference… who are they?” All eyes turned to Gavin and Dan, the larger of the two holding Gavin up by his waist as he reached to adjust a higher light. Burnie’s attention was caught by the sliver of skin exposed as Gavin stretched his arms up, and it was Gus who responded. 

“Camera crew twinks. The smaller one’s Gavin Poole- some slow motion prodigy if Burnie’s words of praise are to be trusted. Oh, my god, Burnie. Stop staring, jesus christ. You’re going to get sued for sexual harassment or something.” Burnie shot him a glare, and Gus turned his attention back to Joel. “And before you even start, no, I don’t think they’re capable of being assassins. The smaller one’s already nearly taken himself out three times on wires.” Joel watched Gavin and Dan a moment before giving a hum. 

“Well maybe it’s a ploy. You’d never suspect someone who trips all the time of being an assassin, Gus. That’s how they get you to let your guard down, and then bam!” He clapped his hands together, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, and Burnie chuckled as he waved for everyone to go back to what they were doing. 

“They were thoroughly investigated before we hired them, Joel. They’re just two kids who happen to be from the same place Kingston is. I’m not new at this, have a little faith.” Joel wrinkled his nose, uncrossing his arms and taking a step around Burnie to stare at the two young men working. 

“I trust you mostly. Just don’t underestimate them because they’re young and pretty, Burnie.” Burnie frowned, and Joel turned to pat him on the shoulder, almost as though mocking Burnie’s earlier action. “Alright, I’m going back to the station now. Don’t forget about my gold.” Burnie rolled his eyes, and as Joel left the studio Gus snickered. 

“He is not going to let that gold thing go. Geeze.” Burnie shrugged, turning back towards the set and frowning when he noticed that Dan was now standing behind the camera. He started a moment later when a throat cleared behind him, and he spun to see Gavin standing on the balls of his feet with a shy smile. 

“Mr. Burns, if it’s alright with you Dan’s going to finish up the shots here. I haven’t eaten yet today and I was thinking of going to grab something.” Burnie glanced at Dan before returning his gaze to Gavin, giving a nod as the other man’s smile brightened. “Fantastic. Could you point me in the general direction of a good place to eat? I’ve no clue where anything is.” Gus glanced between Gavin and Burnie a moment before giving Burnie a small shove towards the younger man. 

“”Burnie can show you someplace to eat. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on filming.” Burnie glanced at Gus and a silent conversation was had between the two, ending with Burnie stepping towards Gavin and gesturing towards the door. Gavin smiled brightly, leading the way out, and Burnie barely hesitated in following. 

“You’re really interesting to watch while you film, did you know that?” Burnie winced slightly at the awkward way his words came out, but was rewarded with a smile from Gavin as he turned some to look at Burnie as they walked. 

 

“I get a little into it. I should be able to get all the shots I need today and tomorrow, then it’ll be a few days of editing and you’ll have what you paid for. Which is a shame; it’s so sunny here. I’d love to stay a bit longer.” His grin shifted some as his foot caught a box that had been left in the hallway, and Burnie quickly caught him before he could trip into the wall. 

“Whoa, careful there. Wouldn’t want you to get a concussion first day on the job.” Burnie offered a sheepish smile as he helped Gavin stand back up properly, one hand still on his lower back as they stood awkwardly for a moment before Gavin gave a laugh. 

“Sorry about that. I’m a bit of a klutz, it’s like I have two left feet.” Burnie chuckled, both men watching each other a moment before Gavin cleared his throat, a flush crossing his cheeks. “You have quick reflexes. I bet your wife feels very safe with you around.” Burnie snorted, shaking his head as he used the hand on Gavin’s lower back to guide him towards the door.

“Not married. But I’ll be more than happy to use my reflexes for you while you’re around, Mr. Two-left-feet.” He flashed Gavin a grin, and Gavin wrinkled his nose before letting out a chuckle. 

“My hero.” Burnie laughed, and Gavin let himself be steered outside of the offices and towards the coffee shop next door. Gavin glanced around as they entered the shop, perking up some at the smell of food wafting from behind the counter as they approached. “Oh, this all looks lovely!” Burnie smiled as they reached the counter, a perky brunette greeting them and taking their order before gesturing for them to wait at one of the small tables to the side. Seating themselves, they sat quietly a moment before Burnie cleared his throat. 

“You know, if you wanted to stay around Los Santos for a bit, I could see if Geoff and Jack are down for hosting you guys for a bit instead of sending you to a hotel… unless you have another job to get back to? If you’re any good with a regular camera, I could use some more promo pictures and we have a Gala next week that could use some photography done of it. It’ll be nice to use someone for more than one project for once, and I do like the work of yours that I’ve seen. We could get to know each other, maybe form a working relationship. We don’t have a regular photography for the company and I’ve been looking for one.” Gavin raised a brow, and Burnie gave a little shrug. “Really, a part of me is just tired of looking for people for this Gala. Gus usually handles these things with our PR person, Barbara, but they’re both busy on another project right now. It’d be a big help?” Gavin took a moment to think it over, and Burnie settled in his seat as the waitress brought over their sandwiches and drinks. 

“I’d love to. There’s really nothing waiting for me in the UK right now, so extra work would be nice. Plus you all seem so lovely. I enjoyed spending last night at Geoff and Jack’s place, and I know Dan got along swimmingly with Jack. So… sure. I’ll stay for the Gala at least.” He smiled warmly at Burnie, reaching for his sandwich and picking it up. 

“Appreciated. We can work out pay and things once you’re done with the commercial?” Gavin gave a little hum, nodding as he bit into his stomach, and Burnie internally congratulated himself on getting the younger man to stick around some. Gus had been slightly right in his earlier accusation; a small portion of why he’d hired Gavin had to do with how attractive the Brit was. He had spent little time actually looking into the other candidates that Gus and Matt had presented him with, focusing mostly on the perky looking man that one of his british contacts had brought up during a meeting. He’d taken it upon himself to watch all of the videos he could that featured Gavin’s work; anything he could that had the man actually in it was watched several times. “I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit of a fan of your work. A contact of mine showed me a few commercial’s that you’ve done and I was pretty impressed.” Gavin’s eyes widened as he took a sip of his drink, a light flush crossing his cheeks as he cleared his throat. 

“Really? I’m a big fan of your work! I’ve watched several of your web series, they’re brilliant.” Burnie’s lips curled into a smile as he reached for his own sandwich. “I was actually a little excited at the prospect of meeting you… I wasn’t sure I’d be allowed to come to be honest.” Burnie gave him a curious look, and Gavin flashed a quick smile. “Just, travel and all. I’ve never been outside of the UK before.” 

“Ahh. Well, I’m glad you got the chance to. Have we lived up to expectations?” Gavin chuckled, wiping his mouth with a napkin as he leant forward in his seat some, the corner of his mouth lifting in an almost smirk. 

“Well, the company is just like I’d always imagined it, but you’re much more handsome than anticipated. “ Burnie snorted, putting his sandwich down and dusting some crumbs off his lap. 

“You know, you already have the job, Gavin. You don’t have to flirt with me to keep it.” He teased, and Gavin let out a squawk of a laugh, shaking his head. 

“Oh, no. Burnie, you signed a contract already, I know I don’t have to flirt with you.” He smiled as he reached for his sandwich again, and it was Burnie’s turn to clear his throat, blushing faintly at Gavin’s words. “I’d like to get to know the real you… if you’d be alright with that? You’re much different than I imagined you’d be from your website.” Burnie gave a little shrug, chuckling some as he finished off his sandwich. 

“You won’t be that impressed once you spend a few days with me. I’m old and cranky most of the time.” Gavin snorted, waving off the comment as he shifted in his chair. 

“I think you’re mixing yourself up with Mr. Sorola. I’m sorry, is he always like that? It’s like nothing impresses him.” Burnie chuckled, running a hand through his hair as he thought about Gus. 

“He’s not the easiest person to get along with at first, I’ll admit, but Gus is a good guy.” Gavin grinned, rolling his shoulders some as he reached for his mug, and Burnie watched as the younger man took a drink, eyes on his lips as he licked away a drop of tea before smiling. 

“Well, either way, I’ll just have to see how impressive you are now won’t I? We should head back to the shoot; I shouldn’t leave Dan alone too long, he might get into a fight with Geoff if he gets there to pick us up before we get back.” Burnie moved to gather up their dishes as Gavin stood, and as he brought the dishes to the counter for the waitress he gave Gavin a curious look. 

“Yeah, what’s up with that? I’ve never seen someone glare at Geoff so much while only having known him for a total of two days.” Gavin let out a laugh, looping his arm with Burnies to steer him out of the building. 

“I’m not sure. They were fine when we got into the truck after Geoff picked us up at the airport, but then I fell asleep and I’m not sure what happened but Dan is well unimpressed with him. Maybe they had a fight while I was asleep.” Burnie nodded, leading Gavin back into the Burns Enterprises’ studio space before nodding to where Geoff was leaning against the wall next to Gus, watching Dan with an amused look as the other man packed away the camera. 

“B! Did you get all the rest of the shots already?” Gavin disengaged from Burnie, bouncing his way to Dan to lean over his shoulder as Burnie made his way to where Gus and Geoff stood. Gus offered little more than a look, and Geoff cleared his throat before nodding between Gavin and the older man. 

“So, you and the kid go on a date already? Gus says you showed him around for lunch.” He waggled his eyebrows, and Burnie groaned as he gave him a shove with his elbow. “What! It’s a legitimate question. Everyone can tell you want to bang him dude.” Gus made a noise beside him, and Burnie ran a hand over his face before letting out a groan. 

“I might have offered him the Gala job to keep him here.” Geoff burst into laughter, and Burnie shot him a glare. “Look, he’s good at his job. The fact that he is, yes, attractive? A small bonus.” Geoff made an obscene gesture with his hips at Burnie’s words, barely able to get a word out as he tried not to laugh. 

“I bet you’ll be giving him a bonus, huh?” Burnie shoved him again, and Gus reached out to keep Geoff from toppling over. 

“I wish you’d talked to me before offering him the job, Burnie. He’s expensive.” Burnie rolled his eyes, and Gus scowled. “Just because you have a crush doesn’t mean we should spend more money than we have to, damnit.” 

“You’re starting to sound like Matt, Gus. Calm down. It’s one more job. Plus the kid wants to stay in America for a bit. He’s never been outside of the UK and I bet Dan hasn’t either. They seem like good kids.” He turned to Geoff slightly with a wide grin, and Geoff stopped his chuckling. “Speaking of, you don’t mind housing them while they’re here, do you?” Geoff made a face, but gave a nod. 

“Yeah, whatever. You get to explain to Jack why we’re babysitting two english assholes though.” Burnie chuckled, and Gus threw his hands up in exasperation. 

“Burnie, seriously, you can’t just hire them without consulting the rest of us. What if they are the assassins Joel came to warn us about?” Burnie rolled his eyes, reaching to guide Gus’ arms down. 

“I think I can handle them, Gus.” Gus opened his mouth to retaliate, but before he could Gavin and Dan made their way over, camera equipment packed up and stored away. 

“We got most of the shots we needed today, I don’t even think we’ll need to shoot anything else before we start editing. You didn’t really want much for the commercial, which made it pretty easy? So I think probably, yeah, tomorrow I can work on editing and stuff, come in here and you can tell me what shots you like best, Burnie?” Gavin smiled at the group of men, and Burnie nodded, flashing Gavin a thumbs up. Geoff cleared his throat as he pushed himself away from the wall, gesturing for Gavin and Dan to come a bit closer. 

“So Burnie says you’re sticking around to work the Gala? If you guys want, you can stay at our place. It’s not a big deal.” Gavin shot Geoff a grateful look, and Dan made a noise of surprise beside his companion. Gavin shot Dan a look, and Dan sighed, rolling his shoulders back and giving Geoff a calculated smile. 

“Thank you for your offer, sir. Gavin and I would love to take you up on it.” Burnie bit back a smile at the controlled way Dan spoke to Geoff, turning from the two to look at Gavin. 

“Do you both do the editing? Because if you don’t have to help, Dan, I’m sure Jack would be more than willing to show you around Los Santos.” Dan cast a look at Gavin at Burnie’s words, and the older man watched as the two shared a silent conversation between them before Dan shook his head. 

“I don’t have to be there, no. It’d be nice to see what Los Santos has to offer, actually… so long as you’ll be alright alone, B?” Dan’s gaze moved to Gavin again, who offered a smile to the other man. 

“I’ll be alright, B. Burnie will be with me, and I know he wouldn’t let anything happen to me, right Burnie?” He gave Burnie an almost coy look, and Burnie chuckled. 

“Nah, I just spent a lot of money on you, I wouldn’t want to waste it. He’ll be fine, Dan.” Dan stared at Burnie for a long, almost uncomfortable moment before nodding, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Alright.” Gavin grinned, looping his arm through Dan’s and giving him a tug as he grabbed Geoff’s shirt to tug him towards the door. 

“Excellent! Now that it’s all settled, I want to head back to your place Geoff. You have an Xbox and I plan to use it.” Geoff made a noise of discontent, and Burnie and Gus watched as the smallest of the group lead the two other men out, Geoff arguing about hospitality as they went. Gus turned back to Burnie, fixing him with a look. 

“If you sleep with him, I swear to god I’m going to abandon you at the Gala to make all the speeches.” Burnie gave a roll of his eyes, turning to head back into the offices. 

“If I sleep with him, I should get a goddamn medal. Did you see his ass in those jeans?” Gus gave a groan, and Burnie laughed as the two headed to Burnie’s office.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to me! Have another chapter. >.> I just. Dan and Jack make me happy okay.

“You should have asked me before you agreed to stay longer, Gavin.” 

Gavin groaned as he lay face down on the bed in Geoff and Jack’s spare bedroom, Dan pacing the room somewhere behind him as he tried to sink into the plush fabric of the comforter. He had known that his earlier actions with Burnie would have consequences- Dan hated to be left out of plans, and they had originally designed their stay around the single job. Not bothering to move, he turned his head slightly to watch Dan move around the room before letting out a sigh. 

“It was a last minute decision, B. I don’t have the skills to make the man fall for me in two days, no matter what Jared thinks. The extra time will help me get the information we need, and it’ll make it easier for us to get close to them. And…” he trailed off, rolling onto his side to watch Dan pace the room. “I don’t… want to go back. Not immediately. I know that we’ll have to, some day soon, but… can’t I just pretend, just for now?” Dan paused his pacing, stilling as he faced the door. They rarely spoke about the fact that Gavin was, for the most part, trapped in the single room that housed his bed and computer set up. They rarely spoke about the times that Dan was locked out of the room, sat beside the door as he waited for the tell-tale click of the lock being turned. The times where neither could look the other in the eye, embarrassed and ashamed that neither were brave enough to try and escape Jared’s long leash. Dan had tried to hide how being forced to kill had changed him, made him harder; Gavin had tried to hide the way he was cracking under the strain of it all. 

“I know you don’t want to go back, B. I don’t want to either. But what can we do? Jared will know if we don’t do the job. He’ll come for us.” Gavin frowned at Dan’s words, reaching to grab Dan’s arm and pull him down onto the bed with him. Shifting his way to press his face against the other man’s thigh, he made a noise of distress as Dan let his hand drop to tangle his fingers in Gavin’s hair. “I don’t want to have to go back to that. Do you think Burns would be lenient if he found out that we were sent from Jared though? He might seem nice and stuff, B, but the fact of the matter is that we were sent here to kill him… if he found out, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t make it out of the studio. We have to look out for ourselves. I have to make sure you’re safe, Gavin.” Gavin pressed his nose into the fabric of Dan’s shorts, taking a slow breath before wiggling his way further into the larger man’s lap. 

“I’m always safe with you, Dan. And… I know we have to do this. I know he’s not a good person, I do. But can’t I enjoy being out from under Jared’s thumb for a bit longer?” Dan sighed, pulling Gavin to sit upright and fixing him with a long stare before hanging his head. 

“Just for a bit. Alright? We should check in with Jared.” Gavin sighed, nodding as he reached for his phone. He hesitated in pulling up Jared’s phone number- one of two in his contacts, directly under Dan- before taking a deep breath and pressing the call button. Putting the phone to his ear, he listened to it ring, shifting to lean against Dan as he waited for Jared to answer. The line clicked, and Jared’s rough voice greeted him. 

“You’re late calling me. I told you to call when you landed, Gavin. Not the day after. What the hell have you been doing?” Gavin winced at the harshness of Jared’s voice; the man was clearly angry, and while Gavin was glad he wasn’t physically close enough to feel the effects of Jared’s wrath, he knew that if things didn’t go the way he wanted them to he’d certainly feel it later. 

“It’s a long flight, we crashed as soon as we got in and then we had to go meet Burns, Jared. But I called now, yeah? This is me reporting in.” There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, and Gavin shifted against Dan, settling some as the other man rested his arm around his waist.

“I should have fucking sent Chadwick with you. Neither you nor Daniel can be trusted, I don’t know why I let you talk me into this. Your both idiot children. You had better contact me daily from now on, Gavin, do you hear me? You will not like the consequences if you don’t.” Gavin made a noise, and there was a harsh breath from the opposite end of the line. “Have you made headway with Burns yet? You’re only over there the one job, you don’t have much time.” Gavin picked at a frayed edge of the blanket under them, keeping his eyes on the rustic quilt pattern of the comforter. 

“Actually, we’re going to be here longer than that. I managed to get us a second job with the company, which is going to make it easier to get closer to Burns. He’s already got an interest in me.” There was a moment of silence on the line, and Gavin reached to rub his arm where the bruising from Jared’s grab before they’d left England was still fairly prominent. Dan frowned, tightening his arm around Gavin’s waist and resting his chin on the smaller man’s shoulder as they waited. 

“You didn’t ask me for permission to stay, Gavin. I’ll allow it this time, but I’m sending Chadwick over, he’ll stay in a hotel close by to keep watch on you. I don’t trust the two of you not to fuck this up.” Gavin frowned, biting the corner of his lip as he gave a sharp, conditioned nod, aware that Jared had no way of seeing him. “And he’ll have permission to keep you in line, Gavin. I’m not playing games, boy.” Shivering at the words, Gavin made a sharp whine as the line clicked, signifying that Jared had hung up. 

“What did he say, B?” Dan’s voice was soft, and Gavin let his phone drop to the bed as he half turned to press his nose into Dan’s shoulder, taking a slow, shaking breath. 

“He’s sending Chadwick to keep an eye on us. With permission to keep me in line.” Both men shuddered at the thought; Chadwick was a beast of a man, muscular and angry and always looking for a reason to lash out at them. Sending the man to keep an eye on them was less of a precaution and more of a threat; the man would take no time in beating either man down if they stepped out of line. 

“Well he can’t bloody well stay here, that will look suspicious.” Gavin snorted, pressing his face closer to Dan’s shoulder as he shook a little. 

“He’s to stay in a hotel near by. And I’m sure we’ll have to check in with him daily. I don’t like him, B. He’s so…” Gavin trailed off with a little half hearted shrug, and Dan nodded. 

“I know. Did Jared say anything else?” Gavin shook his head, and Dan ran his hand along his back soothingly as he glanced up at the clock. “We should go downstairs. Mingle. Geoff seems to like you well enough, maybe we can get some information out of him? And supper should be ready soon.” Gavin gave a nod, taking a moment to wrap his arms around Dan’s neck to give him a tight hug before moving to get up, giving himself a little shake and letting out a long breath before flashing a false grin at Dan. 

“Geoffrey isn’t as bad as you seem to think he is, Dan, really. I don’t know why you don’t like him.” Dan scowled, getting up as well and swiping at Gavin’s hair before turning to open the door, gesturing for Gavin to lead the way. The Ramsey-Pattillo house was nicely decorated; looking more like something out of a home and garden magazine, it hadn’t been what the two lads had expected to see when Geoff had picked them up, but Gavin felt that it certainly suited Jack’s personality. Making their way downstairs, they paused outside of the living room as Jack and Geoff’s voices filtered into the hall. 

“Burnie seems to trust them. I still think it’s a little stupid to just offer them a job at the Gala, but what do I know?” Geoff’s voice was annoyed, and Gavin cast a look at Dan before pressing close to the wall to listen. 

“Geoff, I’m sure Burnie did a full background check and everything when he hired them. And you said yourself that they looked really professional while working today. Give them a chance. They seem like nice kids.” 

“Assassin’s could be nice kids. You don’t know them, you don’t know where they come from.” 

 

“Geoff, listen to yourself. Do you really think that Gavin and Dan are capable of murder?” 

“... I reserve the right to hold judgement until I know them better.” 

“Well, they’ll stay here while they’re working for Burnie, and we can keep an eye on them. Alright?” 

“Fine. Not like anyone’ll listen to me if I disagree anyways.” 

Gavin nodded for Dan to move back up the stairs, following him to then turn around and come back down the stairs with heavier footsteps. They made their way into the living room to see Geoff and Jack seated on the couch, Jack offering them a wide smile as he gestured for them to sit down. 

“Hey, have a seat. Geoff’s going to make steak and veggies for supper, does that sound good?” Dan nodded as they settled into the two arm chairs near the couch, and Gavin’s stomach gave a loud growl, causing him to flush slightly. 

“Sounds delicious, actually. We didn’t have much chance to eat today, with the filming and all.” Jack nodded at Gavin’s words, offering him a smile as the younger man shifted some on the chair he sat in. 

“How was filming? Geoff says Burnie offered you two a job doing photography at the Gala, you’re more than welcome to stay here with us.” Gavin gave him a smile, and Dan cleared his throat as his gaze moved from Geoff to Jack. 

“Filming went well. Mr. Burns didn’t really ask for anything difficult, and we got all the shots in one go. It’ll be some editing work tomorrow, which is Gavin’s job, and then hopefully the finished product will be done in a day or two after that. When’s this Gala suppose to be, anyways? And what’s it for?” Geoff gave a careless wave of his hand as he shifted to stand, stretching some. 

“Oh, Burnie holds a big charity Gala every year. All the money raised goes towards a bunch of different charities, it’s a really good cause. Lots of music and a dinner and there’s a silent auction… it’s fun.” Dan nodded, and Geoff shrugged. “He’s done it like...for the past five years I guess? So I really don’t know why he’s slacked off so much on hiring this year.” Gavin watched as Geoff left the room, a small frown on his face at the man’s surly behavior. 

“Sorry, Mr. Pattillo, is… is Geoff upset that we’re staying?” He turned his attention to Jack, who stroked his beard before letting out a sigh. 

“Call me Jack, guys, please. Geoff’s just upset that Burnie went about hiring people without asking the opinion of the other CEO’s, I think. Usually they all make decisions together, so he’s a little offended Burnie went about asking you to stay for the Gala without really talking to him or the others.” Gavin’s brows furrowed, and Dan cleared his throat as he leant forward some. 

“Wait… Geoff’s a CEO of Burn’s Enterprises?” Jack chuckled, nodding as Dan gave a surprised look towards the door. “I thought he was like… he told us he was just a regular worker!” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest, a curious look on his face. 

“He’s one of the founders of the company, actually. He just doesn’t like the responsibilities that Burnie and Matt tend to have to deal with, so he keeps out of most of the big focus areas publically.” Jack shrugged, folding his hands in his lap as he watched both younger men carefully. Dan seemed flabbergasted; as though the thought of Geoff in a position of power baffled him completely. Gavin simply seemed amused, and Jack watched as Gavin rose from his seat to give them a little wave. 

“I’m going to see if Geoff would like any help in the kitchen.” Jack gestured for him to go ahead, turning his attention back to Dan. 

“Geoff’s a dick. I’m not going to be nice to him just because he’s a CEO.” Jack snorted at Dan’s words, and Dan frowned. “I’m serious! He’s done nothing but tease me since we got here and I don’t like how he talks to Gavin, I’ll not be treating him any different. He can fire me all he wants.” Shaking his head, Jack motioned for Dan to join him on the couch, the younger man reluctantly switching from the chair he was in. 

“Look, we all know that Geoff’s an asshole sometimes. That’s part of why we like him. And he’s not going to expect you to treat him any differently- in fact, he’ll probably appreciate the fact that you don’t plan on trying to suck up to him. But he’s not a bad person, Dan. I promise.” Dan gave him a skeptical look, and Jack shrugged. “You don’t have to like him, Dan. But you do have to put up with him. Keep that in mind.” Dan crossed his arms over his chest, sinking back into the sofa’s cushions at Jack’s words, and Jack laughed and reached to clasp a hand to Dan’s shoulder. “It won’t be that bad while you’re here. I promise.” Dan sighed, and Jack smiled warmly at him. 

“I… yeah, alright. I’ll be nice. But only as a favor to you, since you’ve been so nice to us since we got here.” Jack’s smile widened at Dan’s words, and he pat Dan’s shoulder before moving to stand up. 

“Thanks, Dan. I’m just going to go check on the laundry I put out this morning, do you want to come help?” Dan shrugged, but stood up and waited for Jack to lead the way, casting a glance towards where Geoff and Gavin were in the kitchen before exiting the house. 

Jack might not have thought that Geoff was a bad guy, but Dan still didn’t trust him around Gavin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because I wrecked my shoulder at work I'm off for almost a week... which means potentially another update sometime soon? But this chapter has some slight triggers for abuse mention. Just a heads up friends.

Gavin sat at the table, watching as Geoff pulled items from the cupboards in preparation for the meal they were about to have. He sat in silence for a few minutes, watching how at ease Geoff seemed in the kitchen, before he cleared his throat, causing Geoff to jump slightly, turning with a frying pan raised in defense. Gavin offered a small smile, and Geoff scowled as he lowered the frying pan. 

“Jesus, Gavin. Scare a guy to death why don’t’cha?” Gavin chuckled, and Geoff moved to place the pan on the stove before turning to look at Gavin curiously. “Can I help you with something?” Gavin shrugged, shifting some in his chair as he watched Geoff for a moment. 

“That’s what I was going to ask you. I thought I’d see if you needed any help making supper.” Geoff squinted at Gavin a moment before nodding towards the counter where he had set some vegetables and a cutting board. 

“Can you chop some veg?” Gavin nodded enthusiastically, moving to stand over the cutting board as Geoff began pulling meat from the fridge. “Not gunna lie, buddy, you don’t come across as a cooking sort of person.” Gavin frowned at that, taking a knife from the knife block and picking up a mushroom.

“What’s that suppose to mean? It’s cutting up veggies, it’s not like it’s rocket science Geoff. Honestly.” Geoff watched him a moment as he began unevenly chopping up the first mushroom, reaching to still Gavin’s arm and moving to stand beside him. 

“It’s more than just cutting up veggies, Gavin. If you don’t cut them evenly, they won’t all cook properly. And if you aren’t careful you’ll cut your finger. Here…” The older man moved to fold Gavin’s fingers properly on the next mushroom, then guided his hand slowly to show him how to properly slice the vegetable. “There’s no reason to rush, dude. No one’s gunna starve to death in the five minutes it takes you to chop these. Go nice and slow and try not to cut your fingers off.” Gavin nodded, and the two fell into silence as they worked for a few minutes before Geoff cleared his throat. “So uh. How long have you been into the slow motion thing?” Gavin glanced up from the cutting board, noting the way Geoff half turned towards him as he waited for an answer, slightly hesitant. It was obvious to the younger man that Geoff was fishing; not willing to trust him, and Gavin gave him a small smile as he shrugged his shoulders some. 

“Years. Dan and I got our hands on the phantom when we were younger and… I don’t know. Slow motion makes you really see what’s going on beyond what you see at a glance. It breaks down all the actions to show what happens underneath it all, and that… I guess it appeals to me. To see what most people don’t.” Geoff gave him a small nod before turning back to the steaks, giving a small hum. 

“I can get that. I took up cooking because it gave me something to focus on. I didn’t have a lot growing up, and when I got out on my own, I was determined not to eat shit food every day. Then I found that cooking was really relaxing. And here we are now.” Gavin watched as Geoff began to season the steaks, curiosity peaked by Geoff’s words. 

“That must have been awful, not having much growing up. I had plenty, myself… well. My family did.” He thought back to years of being sent off to private cottages, back to when his family would send him off and leave him with the help for months on end. “I could at least eat well, when I was younger. But I’m glad you’re doing well for yourself now. I’m sorry you had a rough time, Geoffrey.” Geoff fixed Gavin with a look, as though trying to figure the younger man out. He resumed his work with the steaks, silent for a moment before clearing his throat. 

“Thanks, Gavin. But from the looks of it, you’re no stranger to a rough time… what happened with your arm?” Gavin glanced down at his arm, frowning as he noted that the bruise from Jared was somewhat visible where he had pushed his sleeves up to chop the vegetables. 

“It’s just a bruise. I’m pretty accident prone, Geoff, I’m sure you’ve noticed. I trip over every minging thing.” He offered a smile, his mind sorting through the options available to him if Geoff didn’t believe his lie. Geoff stared at him a moment before gesturing to his arm with the tip of his knife. 

“I don’t think you get hand shaped bruises from tripping, Gavin.” Gavin frowned, reaching to tug his sleeve down some as he turned back to the cutting board. 

“You can get a lot of bruises from tripping. Trust me.” His tone offered little room to continue, and Geoff fell silent again as he moved to turn on the stove top, placing his frying pan onto the oven before doing the same with the one for the vegetables. 

“Did Dan do it?” Geoff’s voice was soft, but caused Gavin to jump anyways as he turned to stare at Geoff incredulously. 

“What? No! What?” Gavin sputtered as Geoff took the cutting board from him, setting the knife down on the counter as he stared at the older man. “Dan would never bruise me, he protects me from getting bruises.” Geoff watched Gavin for a moment before putting the cut vegetables into the frying pan, making a noise as he handed the board back to Gavin. 

“I was just asking. I didn’t figure that it was him, the way he’s up your ass all the time.” Gavin frowned, setting the board back on the counter as he reached to pull his sleeves back down, moving to sit at the table to watch Geoff cook. 

“Well it’s not Dan. It’s just...” he trailed off, trying to think of a way to spin the inconveniencing conversation in his favor. Geoff seemed like a mostly caring sort of person; cautious when it came to those he cared about, willing to fight for those he called friends. His interest in Gavin’s bruises were curious; most people wouldn’t call out something like that, yet there he was, glancing up every so often to look at Gavin. He frowned, hamming up up slightly; the conversation wasn’t an inconvenience, it was an opportunity. “This guy I live with just get’s a little grabby when he’s angry. It’s just a bruise, Geoff. I’m fine.” He watched as the information sank in, resisting the urge to smile as Geoff’s brows knitted together in a frown. 

“Well that’s not right.” Gavin almost laughed at the indignation in Geoff’s tone; the man had known him two days, and he already was upset over someone bruising him. 

“Yeah well, here we are. At least I’m here in America and can have an enjoyable time working with the lot of you, yeah? Chin up!” HE only had to play up the enthusiasm a little- he honestly was looking forward to staying around Burns Enterprises for a little bit longer. He had a good feeling about the men around him, which lead to a conflicting feeling about having to kill Burnie at the end of the trip. 

“That’s true. How do you like your steak?” Gavin held no illusions to Geoff having dropped the topic completely; he suspected that he would have another talk with him about the mysterious roommate he’d left back home, particularly with Chadwick due to show up. 

“Medium rare, pleased. Mmm, it already smells good, I’m excited.” He grinned, and Geoff gave a little laugh as he waved a hand over his shoulder. 

“If you think it smells good now, just wait until I start the veggies man. You’re gunna cream yourself from flavor.” Gavin snorted, leaning back in his chair as he took a moment to look around the kitchen. 

“So, who decorated in here? It’s certainly not what I was expecting from you when we pulled up.” Geoff gave a chuckle, keeping most of his attention on the food as he spared a glance around the room. 

“A large portion of it was like this when we moved in. It was Jack’s parent’s place, and when they passed away he inherited it. We just never really bothered to change it up, it’s a nice place and we both like it well enough. It’s not overly Martha Stewart so we’re all good.” Gavin nodded, taking note of the hutch cabinet near the doorway. 

“You have an actual liquor cabinet. That’s fantastic. This place is really lovely, Geoff.” Geoff gave a shrug, and Gavin let out a content noise as he leant on the table, elbows resting on the place mat in front of him. “I’d love a home like this. It’s so… well it’s lovely. It really is.” Geoff tossed him a look, opening a cabinet to pull out some spices. 

“What’s your place like?” Gavin frowned, thinking back on the warehouse that he was forced to stay in. 

“It’s a big building, and like most big buildings in the area we’re from it’s not got a lot of heat in it. I’ve a pretty basic room that I stay in, but Dan’s room attached right to mine with a door that is excellent to use for pranking when it’s not locked. Other than that it’s just a place to sleep.” He shrugged, picking at the place mat before looking up to watch Geoff. “I bet Burnie has a fantastic place, big CEO like him. And I bet Gus lives in a little house all on his own with… I’m going to say a dog. Am I right?” Geoff chuckled, shaking his head as Gavin wiggled in his chair some. 

“Yeah, he has a dog. And a wife, actually, if you'll believe it. And Burnie’s place is pretty nice, you’ll probably see it when you do your editing and stuff tomorrow. He doesn’t have a computer with editing capacities in the office and I didn’t see one with you when you came in…” Gavin nodded, and Geoff shrugged. “So yeah, you’ll probably see his place tomorrow then. Which means he’ll probably try to feed you.” Gavin grinned at that, watching as Geoff seasoned the pans. 

“Well I won’t turn down free food! And hopefully Dan has a good time with Jack tomorrow. Jack seems lovely.” Geoff nodded, moving to pull some plates from the cupboard near him, turning to nod at Gavin. 

“You might as well call those two in for the meal. It’s almost done.” Gavin nodded, sliding his chair out from the table and casting Geoff once last look before moving to summon the two other men into the kitchen for dinner.

Gavin could really see himself liking these men. And that did not bode well for his mission.


	7. Chapter 7

Gavin’s day was going fairly well. Burnie had brought him to his house to work early on in the day, the two of them focusing on work while they talked idly between them. The atmosphere of the older man’s home was welcoming, and Gavin felt relaxed as he sat at Burnie’s desk editing the video clips of the footage he’d captured the day before. His phone sat on the desk beside him, buzzing every so often with a message from Dan ( ‘B there’s a boardwalk here and it’s actually lovely we need to come down here sometime before we leave!’ ‘Jack got me a tourist shirt. What do I do?’ ‘There’s several hundred topless men here doing push ups I don’t understand what’s happening’) or a picture from Geoff, who had exchanged numbers with him before dropping him off at the office so that he could text when he wanted to be picked up if Burnie wasn’t going to drive him home. The pictures were mostly random things that Geoff had found wandering around with Jack and Dan; a large number of them were of different ridiculous shirts or hats that were found in many of the shops lining the boardwalk. 

“Hey, come take a break, Gavin. You’ve been working for like, six hours. Tea?” Glancing up, Gavin noticed that while he had been working, Burnie had changed out of the dress shirt and trousers that he had been in when he’d arrived, wearing instead a more comfortable looking polo shirt and a pair of jeans. Nodding, Gavin moved to stand, stretching his arms above his head and letting his spine pop before turning to face the older man, making note of the faint blush dusted across Burnie’s cheeks. 

“A break would be lovely, actually. As would tea. I’m pretty much done, to be honest with you; just have a few final edits to do after you’ve had a look at it and let me know if there’s any changes you want made to it.” He offered a smile, and Burnie returned it, placing a hand on his lower back to lead him out into the living room of the house to sit on the large plush couch. 

“Black tea, or I think I have some chamomile or some peppermint too in one of the cupboards? Which would you like?” Gavin watched as Burnie made his way into the kitchen, smiling some as the older man began to pull out different sorts of tea to put on the counter before turning to put water in the electric kettle. 

“Peppermint would hit the spot, actually. What have you been doing while I’ve been working hard on your commercial?” Burnie put away two of the tea boxes, reaching to pull a mug down from the cupboard before putting a tea bag into it. 

“Oh, just some paper work. Nothing too exciting. I was thinking of heading down to the boardwalk later though… you wouldn’t want to join me, would you? It’s really quite nice there, and I know Dan got to see it with Jack and Geoff today. I could also take you straight back to their place if you’d rather.” Gavin thought on it a moment; while going out with Burnie would be good for his mission and, quite honestly, a rather nice time most likely, he was suppose to meet in with Chadwick in an hours time. He frowned a little, settling back into the soft cushions of Burnie’s couch as he thought his options out. 

“Well, I have an errand I have to run before I can really do anything, I’m suppose to meet up with another client in about an hour. But I’d love to go later, if possible? It sounds like it would be a lovely time.” Burnie grinned, turning to reach for the kettle as it clicked off, tipping the kettle to pour the water into the mug with the tea bag.

“That’s fine, I could pick you up after your errand if you want, and I could show you around the boardwalk at night. It’s pretty nice there, and there’ll be a lot of stores and stuff still open since its the middle of summer and stuff. Do you want any sugar or anything in your tea?” Gavin shook his head, and Burnie brought him the mug, setting it down on the table in front of him before moving to sit next to him on the couch. 

“Thank you, Burnie. I’m glad you reached out to me for this job, it’s lovely being outside of the UK for once. I never really thought I’d get to see America to be honest with you, and so far it’s not as awful as all the movies make it out to be.” He gave Burnie a teasing smile, and Burnie chuckled as he leaned back against the armrest, watching Gavin as he picked up the mug to take a sip of his tea. 

“We’re not completely awful. Besides, at least we know what the sun is here. Have you ever seen it before?” Gavin stuck his tongue out, and Burnie laughed. “I’m just teasing. But you’re already starting to get a tan, did you realize?” Gavin raised a brow, and Burnie flushed slightly. “You and Dan both. You guys were pretty pale when you got here and the two of you have some colour on you now. It’s a good look for you.” Gavin smiled, taking another sip of his tea before glancing at the clock. 

“Do you want to go take a quick look at the edited video before I leave?” Burnie shrugged, shifting a bit closer to Gavin on the couch before responding to the question. 

“Nah, it’s fine. I’ll look it over tonight, and let you know if there’s anything I want changed. Sounds good?” Gavin nodded, thinking back over the video in an attempt to recall if there had been anything he wasn’t sure about in it. Nothing popped up, and he took another drink before setting the mug on the table, turning to look at Burnie properly. 

“So tell me about the great Burnie Burns. I hate to be rude, but I don’t know a bloody thing about you besides the fact that you know where to get a mean sandwich.” Burnie chuckled, draping his arm over the back of the couch and leaning his head back some to think Gavin’s request over. 

“I’m just your average guy, I guess. Uh… started out as a med student back in the day, actually, decided that it wasn’t the life for me and got into the multimedia business instead. Moved out here, got some connections… and here I am.” Gavin frowned, leaning to nudge Burnie with his shoulder some.

“That’s not how it goes, though, it’s not just ‘this happened and then this happened and now here I am’ all easy like, things happen in between. How did you meet Geoff and Gus? Why Los Santos?” Burnie thought a moment, humming slightly before looking back at Gavin. 

“Los Santos is where a lot of people come to try and make it big. Big business, big name, big anything. So of course I came here to try and make a multimedia superstar out of myself. As for Geoff and Gus… I actually worked with them in a smaller company, something unrelated to what we do here, and all three of us wanted to do something different. So we struck out on our own and here we are, man. A couple years of hard work and we’re sitting pretty.” Gavin nodded, taking Burnie’s words at face value; he had no doubt that Burns Enterprises had indeed started that way. He had read up on the business before hopping the plane across the ocean, and it all seemed to be true- Burnie Burns and his co-founders (unlisted at the time, as the articles he’d been reading had been mostly focused on Burnie and occasionally someone named Matt he hadn’t met yet) 

“Sounds exciting. You seem like a busy bloke, how do you keep a social life with running a big business like this?” Tilting his head some curiously, Gavin took in the room around him. It appeared lived in; well worn items scattered about, an X-box and a large television that clearly saw use, things that told Gavin that Burnie didn’t spend all his time working, either at Burns Enterprises or at the RT Crew headquarters. Clearly the man existed outside of his company; Gavin wouldn’t be sat in the man’s living room if not. 

“It helps that I’m not the only one running it, actually. Matt, Gus and Geoff really help out, I’m just the front man. “ Gavin nodded, and Burnie gave a little shrug. “But besides that, I don’t really have much of a social life anyways. The guys and I play video games and stuff, go out to bars sometimes. Nothing too exciting.” Gavin shifted some, turning to look at Burnie properly as he sat sideways on the couch. 

“I’ve never been to a bar.” Gavin stated it matter-of-factly, and Burnie gave him a surprised look as he rested his chin on his arm along the back of the couch. “I’ve never even been that into drinking, to be honest.” As a child, his father had put the fear of god into him when it came to sneaking liquor from the mahogany cabinet in the dining room, and after Jared’s acquisition of him he’d found himself in far too many situations where Jared controlled everything; from how many drinks he had (too many, always) and what he was allowed to do while he was drunk (he couldn’t remember most incidents, but he knew he always woke up with a tear stained face on the floor of the shared bathroom between his and Dan’s room) he had no control over each experience which had turned him off alcohol for the most part. 

“Never? Well, we have some pretty nice bars here. I’d be more than happy to show you some if you want.” Gavin smiled at Burnie’ offer, glancing at the clock again and giving a sigh. 

“Maybe. We should probably head out if you’re taking me to that meeting, it’s at the hotel by the office.” Burnie nodded before moving to stand up, and Gavin followed, pausing a moment to pick up the mug and bringing it into the kitchen before returning to the living room. “I’ll leave the laptop here, there’s no sense in lugging it around.” He wasn’t worried about Burnie snooping; the laptop was a burner laptop, used strictly for his slow motion work. There was nothing incriminating on the laptop, the worse that Burnie could find would be some pictures of Dan that he’d taken while they were in Geoff and Jack’s spare room. 

“No problem. After you.” Gavin smiled, letting Burnie lead him out to the car. 

+++

“You’re late.” 

Gavin winced as he stood awkwardly in the doorway of the hotel room, the imposing form of Matthew Chadwick blocking his way into the rest of the room. Chadwick had been a part of his life as long as Jared had; the older man had been one of the two thugs who had kidnapped him from his parents summer house, and Gavin could still remember the terror of Chadwick pulling a bag over his head and tossing him over his shoulder like he was a rag doll. 

“I was working. And I didn’t specify what time I’d be here.” Not moving any closer, Gavin shifted to lean against the wall as he watched Chadwick carefully. The older man was taller and broader than Gavin, dark slick back hair and a strong jawline that could have been handsome on a man who didn’t seem to have a permanent sneer in place.Chadwick moved to stand in front of Gavin, looking him over before grabbing him by the arm to push him into the hotel room. Gavin stumbled before sitting on the bed, rubbing his arm gingerly as he waited for the other man to speak. 

“Don’t you back talk me, boy. Jared sent me here to keep an eye on you, and that’s what I plan on doing. Fuck knows what you’ll get into if we just let you run around free.” Gavin frowned, shifting back on the bed as he watched Chadwick carefully. 

“I’m not an animal. I’m a person. And I’m more than capable of doing what I was sent here to do.” Gavin’s voice was quiet, cautious as he watched the larger man move about the room. Chadwick seemed to have unpacked his clothing, a habit that Gavin had always found unsettling whenever the thug had taken up residence in the warehouse with them. Chadwick chuckled, pulling a can of beer out of the mini fridge before turning back to Gavin, eying him carefully for a moment. 

“You’re barely a person, boy. You can’t even talk up to me, lookit you.” Gavin scowled at the words; he had always found the way Chadwick spoke, the deep southern drawl that had been so out of place in England, to be off putting. 

“I’m a person.” The older man made him feel little in a way that surpassed Jared; at least with Jared, Gavin could fight back. He could argue and trick Jared into things, but Chadwick didn’t care about Gavin or what uses he could have. “And Jared sent me here because he knew I could take care of Burns. I don’t need you checking in on me.” Chadwick frowned, opening the beer and taking a long drink before placing it on desk, turning to approach the bed to hover over Gavin on it. 

“If you think for one minute Jared thinks you can do this, you’re poorly mistaken. He sent you to lure Burns in because you’re nothing more than a lot of words and a pretty face. And let’s be honest, kid, you ain’t really all that pretty. Hell, lookit your nose. Takes up half your face, which isn’t really much to look at anyways. Don’t know what Jar see’s in you, kid. I’d have slit your throat when you were ten and fucked up that arms deal for him.” He moved as though to slap Gavin, and the younger man flinched back, causing Chadwick to laugh loudly before moving to finish his beer. “Now Daniel, he’s got some potential. That boy could be turned into a loyal little killer if it weren’t for you.” Gavin bristled at the mention of Dan; the other man hated Chadwick as much as he did, but the thug was determined to take him on as a prodigy after seeing how easily Dan had fallen into the role of bodyguard for Gavin. 

“Stop it. Stop bringing Dan into this. Jared won’t let you hurt me, no matter what he says to threaten me; I’m too much an asset. So you can report back to him that you saw me, and I’ll be leaving now.” Chadwick frowned, throwing the empty beer can at Gavin and causing the younger man to flail awkwardly as it hit him in the face. 

“You don’t tell me what to do, boy. You understand me?” Gavin nodded, shifting back on the bed towards the opposite side, and Chadwick glared at him for a long moment before gesturing towards the door. “Get outta here. You’d better not fuck this up.” Gavin scrambled to get off the bed, ducking around Chadwick and darting out the door, closing it behind and before heading down the hall. Pausing once he entered the elevator, he pressed the ground floor button and watched as the door closed, thinking back on Chadwick’s words. He knew that the older man thought little of him, and every interaction he had with him reinforced the fact that Chadwick hated him. Leaning against the wall of the elevator, he took a slow breath, running his hands over his face. Dan wouldn’t be pleased that he’d gone alone to meet Chadwick, but Gavin had no intentions of letting the older man anywheres near his friend if he could help it. Letting his hands drop, he startled some as his phone went off in his pocket, alerting him to a text message. Pulling his phone out, he opened the message, a small smile crossing his lips. 

B.Burns: Hey Gavin, just wanted to make sure you were still on for later. I’m thinking we could grab something to eat and then go down to the boardwalk, unless you want some boardwalk food? There’s some pretty decent venders down there.

Gavin shook his head slightly, typing his response and hitting send as the elevator doors opened. 

G.Poole: Boardwalk food sounds like an adventure, actually. Pick me up at Geoffs in two hours?

B.Burns: Sounds like a plan. See you then.

Gavin tucked his phone away, moving out to the street. He didn’t have time to think about Chadwick, he had to go back to Geoff’s to get ready for his not-a-date with his target. Glancing up and down the street, he frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Now he just had to find his way back to Geoffs.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smaller chapter but with a major plot point! There might be a slight pause between this chapter and the next depending on if i can get some commissions for writing in the next few days; my roommate sort of screwed me over so I'm rushing about trying to pull together money which is stressful TAT In other news I'm opening up commissions on my tumblr (davidelizabethbowiestrider or eternalscreamsofgavinfree) if anyone's interested!

Gavin hadn’t been back at Geoff’s more than ten minutes when Dan pushed open the door to the guest room, throwing himself onto the bed next to Gavin. 

“So I don’t know if I can kill Jack and Geoff if it comes down to it, B.” Gavin glanced over at the other man, watching as Dan scrubbed a hand over his face. “They’re so nice. I mean, Geoff’s sort of an arse still, but they.. They care. They care about us, Gavin. Jack kept asking about our home in the U.K, if we were okay for work there… if we were okay on our own.” Gavin paused where he was buttoning up his shirt, taking in Dan’s words. He had realized already that he was quite fond of the two men; as much as he could for only knowing them a few days. He could understand where Dan was coming from- he didn’t want to hurt the two men either. 

“Y’know, same though? I’ve gotten a bit attached to them in these few days… and I quite like Burnie and Gus as well.” He finished buttoning his shirt, settling back against Dan as he took a deep breath. “Do you think we could just… just not kill Burnie? Just, maybe, maybe we could kill Chadwick and not go back?” Dan frowned, leaning against Gavin and giving a small hum as he thought it over. 

“I don’t think we’d get away with it, not the two of us. Chadwick’s already two steps away from killing us as is, he’d be too much on guard to let us close enough to do it. Though…” he trailed off thoughtfully a moment, watching Gavin as he slid off the bed to pick up a pair of skinny jeans to hold up and inspect. 

“Though? Do you have an idea, love?” Dan watched as Gavin set the pants down on the bed, moving to push his jeans down and off before taking the pant to shimmy into. 

“Geoff would probably help. If… if we asked him, explained the situation, I think he might help us.” Gavin paused, brow furrowing as he thought over Dan’s suggestion. Dan seemed set on the idea that Geoff would help- Gavin couldn’t help but wonder what had happened between Dan and Geoff to make Dan think that when just that morning, Dan had been complaining about the older man. 

“I’m not so sure he’d be willing to kill for us, B, he barely knows us. But we can...maybe we can figure something out. I saw Chadwick today.” Dan stilled as Gavin buttoned his jeans and sat back on the bed. 

“You went to see Chadwick without me? Gavin, that’s dangerous.” Dan scowled, and Gavin gave a pout as he crossed his arms over his chest. No, don’t you pout at me, he’s likely to stab you B.” Gavin’s pout fell some, and Dan sighed. 

“I’m not a kid anymore, Dan. I can take care of myself you know.” Dan let out a huff, reaching out to grasp Gavin’s arm gently. 

“I know you aren’t, B. I just worry about you. I want you to be safe is all. You’re the only good thing I get in this shitty world, and I don’t want you to go away.” Gavin’s frown softened and he took Dan’s hand, squeezing lightly. 

“I know, but I’m okay Dan. I promise.” Catching a glance at the clock, he let out a small noise of distress before leaning to give the other man a small kiss on his forehead before getting up off the bed. “And Burnie should be here soon for our date. At least… I think it’s a date? I’m not actually sure if it’s a date or not.” He shrugged and Dan scoffed, standing as well as he reached to straighten Gavin’s collar, the other man chuckling nervously. “I’ not sure B but I… I think I actually like him. That’s not a good thing. If I have to kill him I can’t like him, right?” Dan frowned, and Gavin waved his hand as he opened the door to go out into the hallway. 

“Be careful on this date, Gav. He’s a lot older than you!” Gavin rolled his eyes, slipping past Dan to go downstairs and into the living room where Jack and Geoff were. Geoff had a basketball game on the t.v while Jack sat by the window, engrossed in what looked like a fantasy book. 

“I don’t even know if this is a date, Daniel, honestly. Stop with the overprotective big brother act, I’m a big boy now.” Geoff looked up from the game as Dan threw his hands up, moving to sit next to Jack by the window. 

“Yeah Dan, you’re not his real dad, you can’t tell him what to do!” Geoff teased, before glancing at Gavin. “You have a date? With who? You’ve been here ten minutes, jesus kid!” Gavin stuck his tongue out at Geoff, who was watching him with interest, before shrugging and moving to sit down next to him on the couch he was spread out over, shoving his legs onto the floor. 

“Burnie’s taking me to the boardwalk tonight. He said it’s only fair since you lot took Dan out today while I had to work.” He reached to fix his messy hair with a slight frown. “M’not sure if it counts as a date though. He didn’t ask me like a date I don’t think?” Geoff snorted, reaching to drape an arm over Gavin’s shoulder to pull him closer. 

“Dude, Burnie’s got it bad for you. Of course it’s a date. He asked you to go to the boardwalk, right? Bet he asked you to do dinner first too. Classic Burnie date move.” Gavin blushed, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to dislodge Geoff’s arm. 

“Well how should I bloody know, I’ve never been on a date before! It’s not like Jar-” he bit back the rest of his sentence, and behind him Dan cleared his throat loudly to distract the two older men. 

“We don’t date much Too busy. B, I think your date’s here.” The words were spoken almost bitterly, and Jack cast a look at Geoff as Gavin stood up. 

“Guess I’d better go then, yeah. Don’t wait up, I’ll text you when I’ll be back.” Dan nodded, and Gavin gave a little wave before going out the door, leaving Dan with Jack and Geoff. The three sat in silence for a long moment before Jack cleared his throat, marking his page in his book and setting it down. 

“So Gavin’s going on a date with Burnie?” Dan frowned as he nodded, and Jack gave a small hum. “How does that make you feel?” Geoff gave a snort, and Jack shot him a look. 

“What? It’s not any of my business is it? He’s allowed to date people. Even old people.” Geoff’s snort turned into a laugh, and Dan scowled. 

“Please, continue to deny your super gay love for each other. Or at least your super gay love for him. It’s great watching you flounder for excuses.” Dan reached to snatch up a pillow from beside Jack’s chair, chucking it at Geoff. 

“I don’t- shut up, I don’t have a super gay love for him, it’s not-I told you it’s not like that.” Jack frowned, reaching to pat Dan’s arm gently.

“Dan… it’s okay. Geoff and I understand.” Dan frowned, turning to Jack to watch him for a long moment before sighing, rubbing at his eyes. 

“I just… okay. I love Gavin, yes. But I know that he’s not going to feel the same way, alright? I’ve loved him since we were nine years old. I’ve adjusted. Move on.” His tone was bitter, and Geoff’s expression softened some. 

“Hey, I’m sorry, Dan. We’ve all been there.” Dan shrugged, and Jack nodded beside him. 

“Have you talked to him about it?” Dan turned his gaze to Jack, shaking his head at the question. 

“Oh god, no. Gavin’s got some, uh. Issues enough as it is. And Jared wouldn’t allow it so there’s no...point…” Trailing off, a mortified look took over Dan’s face as he realized what he had been about to say. Jack frowned at Dan’s behavior, and Geoff’ brow furrowed as he shifted to face Dan more, reaching to mute the television. 

“Jared’s the guy you two live with, right? The one who put those bruises on Gav’s arm?” Dan shrank into himself, feeling stupid for accidentally bringing it up, and Jack and Geoff exchanged a look. “Dan...what’s going on with the two of you over there? I don’t want to stick my nose in your business but...buddy, the two of you turn into scared ten year olds whenever he’s mentioned. Is this dude threatening you and Gavin?” Dan’s gaze flickered between the two men, and a silence settled between them for a long moment as he tried to decide what to do.

“Jared owns us.” Jack’s eyes bulged some, and Dan waved his arm awkwardly a moment. “He... he took Gavin as payment for a debt owed a long time ago, and I forced him to take me too so I could be with Gavin. He’s not a nice person. Not a good person. We don’t have a choice, we’ve been with him a long time and we just… we don’t have a choice. Neither of us want to go back, which is why Gavin took the Gala job when Burnie offered it.” Geoff nodded slowly, his face unreadable, and Dan watched as he shifted to lean his elbows on his knees. 

“Has he ever hurt either of you more than the bruises on Gavin’s arm?” Dan fell silent, and Geoff frowned. “Dan? Has Jared ever hurt you?” Dan shook his head some, folding his hands in his lap. 

“Please don’t talk to me like I’m a child. I’m fully aware that our situation is abusive and bad. But you haven’t the slighted idea what our lives are like. What we do or who we are.” Jack shot Geoff a look, and Dan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “He keeps Gavin locked in his bedroom when we’re back home. There’s always guards outside his door. I…” He paused, squinting at the two men for a moment. “Jared’s name is Jared Kingston. I know you know who that is, and that you know what that means. We were sent here to kill Burnie.” Geoff’s eyes widened at the blatant statement, though Jack simply reached to place his hand on Dan’s knee soothingly. 

“I already know that, Dan. But the two of you aren’t going to do that, are you?” Dan shook his head, and Jack gave him a little smile. 

“How long have you known?” Dan’s voice was soft, his entire being on edge as the conversation progressed. 

“Gus called me. He had the two of you looked into earlier, and wanted me to do it as well to make sure we didn’t miss anything. I traced you back to your gang in London. The two of you cover your tracks impressively, I must say.” Dan paled, and Jack chuckled some. “I’m not going to turn you in to Gus and Joel, Dan. But you’ll excuse me if you and Gavin don’t just get a free run on anything. Geoff and I had a long talk today, and we want to help you Dan. But only if the two of you work with us. If you don’t, then you’re going for Gus to deal with. And don’t think you can trick us. We’ve been in this business a lot longer than you have.” Dan nodded, and Geoff cleared his throat.

“You’re the muscle, we know that. I mean, anyone can see that, you look like a fucking body guard. But Gavin...he’s clumsy. He doesn’t feel like a contracted killer. He’s more like an imported twink. What’s his job?” Dan hesitated a moment, unsure if he should give away information on Gavin, but after a moment he realized that Jack’s offer was exactly what the two had been looking for- a way out of the U.K, a way to get away from Jared. 

“He’s a hacker. Best in the U.K, maybe all of Europe. He’s also a pretty good theif, and he’s an excellent grifter when he’s allowed out.” Geoff nodded, and Jack gave a little hum. 

“So you were sent here to, what… have Gavin gain Burnie’s trust so you could kill him?” Dan snorted, shaking his head. 

“No, not at all. Gavin’s job was to kill him. Gavin was suppose to seduce him and then kill him, I’m just here to keep Gavin safe. He’s Jared’s most precious asset, you know.” He sneered the words, bitter on his tongue, and Jack frowned. 

“Well, maybe we can use the two of you being here longer against Kingston. Make a plot and take him out.” Dan nodded some, perking up at the thought. 

“We’d be free.” He stated, almost in awe. “We’d be able to stay here if we wanted to, we could…” he trailed off, frowning some as he remembered Chadwick. “Jared sent one of his thugs to keep an eye on us. Big bloke named Chadwick, hired killer and all around bastard. We’ll have to deal with him first.” Jack nodded, and Dan returned the gesture, settling back in his seat. “Alright. What do we do?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey friends! Sorry about the lateness of the chapter- I just got a new job and a new roommate so things have been a bit hectic. But it's here! And it's the Burnvin date! And I really hope you all enjoy it!

Burnie’s suv was non-descriptive black with a little Transformers logo- Autobots, Gavin noted- on the gas tank door. Slipping into the front passenger's seat Gavin flashed Burnie a wide smile, which the older man returned as he gave him a once over. 

“Hey, you look great. How was your meeting?” Gavin’s smile flattered slightly, and Burnie frowned at his reaction. “That good, huh?” Gavin nodded as he buckled himself in, and Burnie offered Gavin a wide smile as he reached to pat his knee. “At least it’s all done now, right? We can enjoy the Boardwalk, get some food and just have a good, relaxing time.” Gavin chuckled at that, pushing some hair from his face and shifting to look at Burnie properly, and Burnie beamed at him. 

“That sounds good to me. I’m bloody starving, to be honest.” Burnie laughed, starting the car back up and pulling out of Geoff’s driveway as Gavin settled back against his seat. 

“How are Geoff and Jack treating you?” Gavin gave a smirk, leaning against his door some as he watched Burnie, thinking the question over before answering. 

“Well. They’ve been lovely, really. Geoff’s funny.” Burnie hummed, and Gavin gave a small chuckle. “Jack’s very nice. They both have taken to caring about Dan and I, which is nice. They’re sort of like… what I imagine having a caring asshole dad is like.” Burnie laughed, and Gavin couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed his lips at the sound. 

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying your time here. How’s Los Santos treating Dan? Is he enjoying it too?” Gavin gave a short bark of a laugh, and Burnie glanced at him, enthralled with the way the younger man looked as he laughed 

“Dan love’s the boardwalk. And that it’s sunny and warm, which I love too. It’s a nice change from London here.” Burnie nodded at the answer, and Gavin turned his gaze to the window, watching as the buildings around them passed by. “I wish I could stay here, to be honest. Working out here, meeting you and the others… it’s the first time I’ve been truly happy in a while. It’s nice.” Silence held in the car for several minutes as Gavin’s words settled around them, and it wasn’t until they turned onto the freeway towards the boardwalk that Burnie cleared his throat to speak.

“So what’s London like?” Gavin cast him a look, frowning only momentarily as he tried to come up with a good response. 

“It’s not terrible. In fact, some parts of it are quite lovely. But situations have made me feel a bit… trapped, I suppose, which leads me to want to leave. I’m not so sure it’s possible, thought… I’m stuck in a sort of, er… contract.” He made a face, and Burnie gave him a worried look. 

“Like a business contract?” He asked, and Gavin hesitated a moment before giving a slight nod. 

“I guess you could call it that. I… let’s not talk about this anymore, Burnie. I’d rather just enjoy the evening out with you.” Burnie nodded, though still worried, but pulled into the parking lot for the boardwalk and parking in a spot. Moving to get out of the car, Burnie made his way to the passenger side to open the door for Gavin, offering him a hand out of the car.

“Well let me be your distraction for the evening, then.” Gavin smiled, taking the offered hand and letting Burnie help him out of the car, slipping his arm to loop with Burnie’s in an attempt to judge the situation. The other man hadn’t outright called their night out a date; for all Gavin knew, Burnie took all of his employees out for a night on the town. Burnie allowed it, turning to lead Gavin towards the wooden walkway. Gavin took in the bright lights and sounds, his gaze travelling from one storefront to the next as they started off towards the pier. 

“So do you bring all your temps out to the boardwalk, Mr. Burns, or am I special?” His tone was teasing, and Burnie chuckled as they passed a few teenagers doing skateboard tricks on a railing. They paused for a moment to watch, intrigued, before continuing on their way. 

“Only the ones I find irresistibly charming, I assure you.” Burnie gave him a wink and Gavin blushed slightly, wrinkling his nose and making a face. He had to admit, Burnie was attractive; not only physically, but his personality as well.

“And how many has that been?” Gavin questioned, brow raised as he walked his fingers along Burnie’s arm. 

“Just the one, oddly enough. Guy was able to captivate me as soon as he walked through my office door...even if Gus didn’t find him too impressive.” Gavin made a face at the memory, and Burnie laughed. “ I thought you were very impressive, Gavin. I’d already been impressed with your work, and then to find out you were attractive and interesting? Not to mention funny. And being able to get you alone for a bit without Dan tagging along is nice.” Gavin couldn’t help the smile that overtook him at Burnie’s words; he’d never been genuinely complimented the way Burnie had just complimented him by anyone other than Dan before, and it was a fantastic feeling.

“Well that’s a bit much, innit? I’m just me Burnie. If anyone should be impressed, it’s me. Look at you! Running a world famous multimedia company, making fantastic series, not to mention you’re rather nice on the eyes… whole package, right here.” Burnie snorted, and Gavin gave a little frown. “No, I’m bloody serious Burnie. You must run your company right, since everyone I’ve talked to loves working for you. And you’re certainly an attractive man.” A playful wink caused Burnie to flush, and Gavin laughed. “You’re fun to be around. Look, we aren’t even doing anything and I’m having a great time. Pretty fantastic if you ask me.” Burnie shifted some, curling his arm around Gavin’s waist and pulling him a bit closer. 

“Well I’m glad you’re having a good time with me. Do you want a sausage?” Gavin smirked, reaching to poke a finger into Burnie’s side as he chuckled. 

“On the first date? What sort of boy do you think I am?” He teased, causing Burnie to snort and give him a little nudge. Laughing, Gavin grabbed Burnie’s arm to keep himself from tripping. “I could go for a sausage, yeah.” Burnie tugged him a bit closer before leading them to a nearby vendor. 

“Two sausages please. Gav, do you want a drink?” Gavin shook his head and Burnie paid the vendor before taking the sausages, and handing one to Gavin.

“I thought I saw a ferris wheel down the boardwalk, did I?” Gavin asked, taking a bite of his sausage as they started walking again. Burnie nodded, pointing towards the opposite end of the boardwalk where the large ferris wheel was visible. “I’d like to go on it.” 

“Sure, we can go on the ferris wheel.” Looping his arm around Gavin again, Burnie took a bite of his sausage as they started off towards the ferris wheel. They ate in silence, and once Gavin was finished his sausage he gave a small hum. 

“Would you wear nothing but velvet track suits if you were given a million dollars for it?” Burnie gave him a look, and Gavin flashed him a grin as he licked some ketchup off his fingers. “What? It’s a legitimate question!” Burnie snorted, finishing his sausage before answering. 

“ A million dollars but I can only wear velvet track suits? Do I get like… several different suits I can wear? Are they all the same colour, or can I customize them? And can I wear underwear?” Gavin grinned, pleased that Burnie was so quick to answer his ridiculous question. 

“You may wear pants, but they have to be velvet as well. And you can have different ones in whatever colours you like.” Burnie made a show of thinking it over before grinning.

“Alright, I’m in. I’ll live like it’s the 70’s.” Gavin let out a laugh, and Burnie chuckled. “Alright, a million dollars, but you can only eat one thing for the rest of your life.” Gavin hummed, shifting some to walk in front of Burnie backwards. 

“I’d do it. I’d either pick salads or sandwiches; you can make a lo of different types of those!” Burnie snorted, shaking his head. 

“You aren’t wrong I guess… jesus, Gavin, stop walking backwards, you’re making me nervous. I’ve seen you trip over nothing in the studio.” Gavin pouted, but turned back around and slipped his hand into Burnie’s instead. 

“A million dollars, but you have to run every decision you make by Geoff to get his approval.” Burnie burst out laughing, and Gavin tugged on his hand. “What, you don’t want Geoff making your decisions for you?”

“Would you want Geoff making all your decisions for you?” Gavin grinned, and Burnie shook his head. “I won’t be taking that million, no.” He squeezed Gavin’s hand slightly, giving him a warm smile. “A million dollars, but you have to wear nothing but gold for the next fifteen years. Gold shirt. Gold pants. Gold everything.” Gavin swung his arm, giving a hum. 

“I’d take it. I look ravishing in gold.” Burnie gave him a look, smirking. 

“I bet you do.” Gavin grinned, and Burnie paused as they reached the entrance for the ferris wheel. “You aren’t scared of heights, right?” Gavin shook his head, and Burnie lead him to get onto the seat for the ride, squeezing in next to him and placing an arm over his shoulders as the unimpressed attendant lowered the safety bar into their laps. 

“Actually, I love heights. I’ve always wanted to go skydiving, to be honest with you… Soaring through the sky, not a worry in the world...sounds lovely.” He gave a little content sigh, curling against Burnie some as the ride started up. 

“I can’t say I’ve ever been skydiving, but it could be exciting. Maybe we can do it as a second or third date? If that’s something that you might be interested in?” Gavin looked at Burnie, taking in the completely honest, hopeful look on the older man’s face. It was confusing; he had been sent to Los Santos with the job to seduce and kill the man, but all he wanted to do was take the man up on his offer for a second date. He thought back on his conversation with Dan before the date, at how the other man had thought that Geoff and Jack might be able to help them. 

“I’d like that. I would love to go out with you again, Burnie.” He offered a shy smile, reaching to touch the older man’s hand gently. “That won’t make our working relationship strained, will it?” Burnie shook his head, taking Gavin’s hand as the ride started up and their seat began to move. 

“Not a chance I keep my personal life and and work life separate. Nothing we do here will affect work, I promise.” Gavin smiled at that, and Burnie pulled him a bit closer, grinning widely. “This is the best view of Los Santos, except for maybe from the top of the Maze Bank. What do you think?” 

“I never thought that Los Santos could be so...pretty.” Burnie turned his gaze to Gavin, watching the way the younger man’s face lit up as he looked out over the water behind the pier. The sun was setting, and Burnie was captivated by the way the dying rays fell against Gavin’s face. 

“Gorgeous, I agree.” He stated, and Gavin turned to look at Burnie, a bright smile gracing his lips as he leant closer to Burnie. 

“Are you trying to flatter me, Mr. Burns?” He teased, and Burnie chuckled as he gave a little shrug. 

“Is it working?” Gavin nodded, and Burnie leaned a bit closer to him. “Would it be completely out of my place if I said I’d love to kiss you right now? You can say no, I won’t help it against you… But I’ve been thinking about it all day.” Gavin hesitated, eyes widening some as Burnie watched him for his answer. 

“Kiss me?” He asked, chewing his lower lip thoughtfully. “I don’t normally kiss on the first date, but I think I could make an exception for you…” He leant closer, and Burnie reached out to cup Gavin’s cheek. 

“Oh, I’m an exception am I?” He teased, and Gavin gave a slight nod before Burnie pressed his lips to Gavin’s gently before pulling away,watching Gavin’s face carefully for his reaction. “I hope that I’m an exception you might want to make again.” Gavin flushed, reaching to pull Burnie’s face back to his to kiss him again before backing away, his cheeks bright red. 

“I think I could make that happen.” Burnie smiled, and Gavin pressed close enough to bury his face in Burnie’s shoulder, embarrassed. 

“I like that. I like you, Gavin. I’m really glad that Merrick showed me your stuff, that you decided to work with me… Thank you for giving me a chance and saying yes to going out with me tonight.” Gavin made a noise into Burnie’s shoulder, and Burnie chuckled as he nudged him some. “Hey, look up for a second. I want you to see the view from the top.” Pulling his face away from Burnie's shoulder, Gavin looked out over the water, letting out a soft noise as he leant over the rail slightly. 

“Burnie...it’s beautiful. I can see everything from up here… And you said the Maze Bank is taller? Can we go there some time?” Burnie chuckled, letting his arm drape over Gavin’s shoulder again. 

“I can see if I can pull some strings. You really like heights, huh?” Gavin nodded enthusiastically, crossing his arms on the bar and resting his chin on them as their seat began to move towards the ground again. 

“You’re just so free when you’re up high. No one can keep you trapped, no one can keep you down. It’s just you and the wide open sky…” He let out a soft sigh, and Burnie watched him worriedly for a moment before Gavin sat back up, giving the older man an almost forced smile. “Did you have anything else planned for this evening, Burnie? I’m a bit tired, but I’m more than happy to stay up a bit more if you are.” 

“No, I was thinking I’d take you back to Geoff’s now. I don’t want to keep you out too late, Dan might came after me.” He teased. Gavin smiled thankfully, giving a small yawn as their seat reached the bottom and the attendant moved to open their safety rail. Thanking the teenager, Burnie placed a hand on the small of Gavin’s back to steer him back towards the car. 

“I had a really good time tonight, Burnie. Thank you.” Gavin’s voice was soft, and Burnie glanced at him as they began walking back towards the parking lot. 

“You’re welcome, Gavin. It was my pleasure.” They walked in silence, both thinking over their evening, and Gavin came to a conclusion as they reached Burnie’s car…

He couldn’t kill Burnie.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warnings: Triggers for mentioned abuse, mentioned mental illness causing dementia/abuse
> 
> So Jack's backstory gets explained a little bit in this chapter! Yay Jack! And then Dan makes everyone sad... whelp. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> ( Also note: Jack's experience with his mother comes from my real life experiences with being a care taker for someone with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. This experience isn't on par with every person's experience with the disease, and I encourage people to look into the disease and donate to the CJD Foundation, whose funds work towards research on it!)

G. Free: Please don’t make me do this, Jared.  
J. Kingston: You’ll do it, or you won’t be doing anything ever again, Gavin.   
G.Free: Jared he’s not a threat to you. He doesn’t even care about the U.K, why stir the pot?  
J. Kingston: Don’t fucking question me. Kill Burns.  
G. Free: ...no.  
J. Kingston: Excuse me?  
G. Free: I’m not going to kill him. And I’m not coming back to the U.K. You can’t control me from there, and I’m not scared of you.   
J. Kingston: Boy, you’re about to be scared of me. I’m sending Chadwick to get you and bring you back. And if he has to kill Daniel to do it, then so be it.  
G. Free: Dan’s got nothing to do with this! And I’m not scared of Chadwick either, I have people who want to protect me here.  
J. Kingston: No one's going to protect you, you’re my property and you’ll do as I tell you or I’ll have you disposed of. 

Gavin threw his phone across the room with a stifled noise, throwing himself onto the couch and burying his face in one of the cushions as he let out a muffled scream. He might have talked tough to Jared, but the truth was that he was terrified of the older man, even in another country. Jared had been the hand of fate for most of his life; what he did, what he ate, who he talked to. What he wore, what he did in his spare time, everything he did or had was controlled by Jared. That sort of life was frustrating, and Gavin was scared that no matter what sort of plan he and Dan could come up with, there would be no escaping Jared’s reach. 

“Are you uh… alright there, Gavin?” Gavin gave a groan at Jack’s voice, pressing his face further into the cushion as he felt the couch dip slightly with the weight of Jack sitting beside him. “I’m guessing that you aren’t alright. Do you want to talk about it?” Gavin pulled himself from the cushion, taking a deep breath before collapsing back onto the couch, turning to lay with his head on Jack’s thigh. 

“How do you stop being afraid of something you’ve been scared of your whole life?” Jack frowned, hesitating a moment before running his fingers through Gavin’s hair, the younger man letting out a distressed noise as he let his eyes close. 

“Is this about the reason you and Dan are here?” Jack’s voice was soft, non-judgemental, and Gavin reached to rub his face as he made another noise. “Dan’s already told us about Jared, Gavin. It’s okay.” He had known that; Dan had told him about the talk he’d had with the older men when he’d returned from his date the previous night, right before Gavin had gushed about how wonderful Burnie had been. 

“I just, he’s going to find me. He’s going to hurt Dan. He’s already got someone here watching us, Jack, I’m not an idiot, I know I should be scared of him. He’s run most of London for ten years now. I’ve seen what he does to traitors.” He gave a shiver, shaking his head a little and rubbing his still sore arm. Jack took note of the gesture, reaching to pull the sleeve of Gavin’s shirt up some with a frown. 

“Is that person watching you the same person who gave you this bruise? Dan said some guy name Chadwick was here, is that who you’re afraid of?” Gavin shrugged off the hand, opening his eyes as Jack rubbed his hand over the bruising lightly. “Geoff and I are going to protect you from people like that now, Gavin. I know that you and Dan are fully capable of handling yourselves, but sometimes it’s hard when it comes to people you’ve been trapped and abused by for years. It’s okay to need help dealing with a situation that scares you Gavin. Trust me.” Gavin looked up at the older man, watching him for a moment.

“Who was it?” He asked, voice shy as he watched Jack’s face carefully. Jack chuckled, squeezing Gavin’s upper arm gently before answering, resting his hand on the one Gavin had placed on his stomach. 

“My mother suffered from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. The dementia set on fast, and she didn’t realize that I wasn’t one of her hallucinations… I don’t blame her, I never have; you can’t control a disease like that, or what happens when the symptoms start to set in. There was no cure, and I tried to take care of her the best I could, but her paranoia and dementia got to a point where she’d try and kill me thinking I was some sort of monster or alien… it took a lot before I would accept Geoff’s help, or even consider having her brought to a care facility. It’s hard to face what happened sometimes, because to me it wasn’t abuse, where she couldn’t control herself. And it wasn’t; it was a poor situation, but I could have asked for help sooner. There was no shame in it. Just like there’s no shame in you asking for help. There’s nothing wrong with you if you can’t face your abuser on your own. None of us want to let you get hurt Gavin. Not Dan, not Geoff, not me. We’re going to be with you if you want to face him, or we’ll take care of it if you don’t. I promise. It’s okay to be afraid.” Gavin stared at Jack a long moment before sitting up, turning to face him. He took in the tired look on Jack’s face; clearly, something had been keeping the older man up, and Gavin couldn’t help but wonder if it had been the entire situation with himself and Dan. 

“I’m scared. I hate that I’m scared, and that I’m worried about what will happen if I stay. What will happen if I go back. What will happen to Dan; this affects him as much as it does me. I told Jared that I wasn’t coming back to the U.K. That I’m not going to kill Burnie. He’s going to send Chadwick after me.” Jack reached out to place his hands on Gavin’s shoulders, frowning slightly as Gavin stiffened under the touch. 

“Well, Chadwick’s going to have to go through us. And we’re like a brick wall. Or like Burnie when he’s protecting a sandwich. Okay? Nothing’s going to get through us.” Gavin gave a small smile, and Jack shifted to pull Gavin against his side. “Now. On to more important things. I hear you had a good date last night?” Gavin flushed, and Jack chuckled as the younger man squirmed to get out from under his arm. 

“It was lovely, but I don’t think I need to kiss and tell!” Gavin exclaimed, cheeks reddening as he shoved at Jack’s side. Jack laughed, reaching to ruffle Gavin’s hair as Gavin flopped back against the opposite arm of the couch. 

“So you kissed then?” The redhead asked, causing Gavin to squawk and flail some as the other man burst into laughter, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“What? No! Yes! Shut up, that’s not your business is it?” Gavin’s expression was priceless; Jack wished he had a camera to show Geoff later. 

“It’s just a question, Gavin. Did you like it? Was it magical?” He teased, causing Gavin to make a face at him before shoving a pillow at his face, causing Jack’s laughter to become muffled. 

“Don’t be rude, Jack! You don’t just ask people that! Honestly!” Gavin pouted, and Jack was pleased to have lightened the mood some as the younger man gave a small content sigh, expression softening. “It was lovely, though. He took me to the boardwalk and we had a sausage and a ride on the ferris wheel. “ Jack waggled his eyebrows and Gavin scoffed, swatting at him. “Stop, it was lovely. Don’t spoil it, Jack. I’d expect that from Geoffrey, not you.” Jack chuckled, and Gavin sighed. “I really like him, Jack. I don’t think I’ve ever liked someone like I like Burnie.” Jack’s expression softened, and Gavin shifted to lean against the older man. “What am I going to do? He’s going to realize that I’m a fraud some day and then that’s it. I’m not good enough for him, he’s bloody fantastic and I’m just… me.” Jack frowned, and Gavin rested his head against Jack’s shoulder. 

“Just you isn’t anything to frown at, Gavin. You’re pretty fantastic, according to a few people I’ve talked to. And from what I’ve seen, you’re a lot more amazing than you think. You already have Geoff wrapped around your finger, even if he’s a dick about it. That’s gotta mean something, dude. And Dan’s crazy about you, and he’s got pretty good taste if you ask me. Not to mention Burnie’s been head over heels about you since he met you. There’s no way there’s anything ‘just’ about you Gavin.” Gavin frowned, and Jack shook his head. “Trust me. So your date was good?” Gavin nodded, and Jack smiled warmly at him. “Are the two of you going to go out again?” Gavin nodded again, grinning. 

“He wants to take me sky diving, Jack! I’ve never been sky diving before, do you think it’ll be fun? I think it’ll be fantastic!” Chuckling, Jack reached to ruffle Gavin’s hair. 

“Sky diving is really fun. I’m a huge fan- when I was a pilot, we use to go just whenever we could and it was always so great. Geoff hates it though, the big scaredy cat.” Gavin’s eyes lit up, and he sat up straight to look at Jack. 

“You were a pilot?” He asked, curiously. Jack nodded, and Gavin’s eyes widened. “That must have been so fun! Do you still fly? Could you teach me how to fly?” Jack gave a little shrug, and Gavin bounced some in his seat. “Please? Pretty please, Jack?” 

“Well… if you guys end up staying in Los Santos, sure. I’ll teach you how to fly.” Gavin beamed at that, and Jack couldn’t help the smile that crossed his lips at Gavin’s happiness. 

“Excellent. I’m going to hold you to that, Jack. No backing out now.” Jack raised an eyebrow, but before he could comment Geoff and Dan entered the room, the former carrying a box of pizza. 

“Did I miss a moment? Aww, I missed a moment.” Geoff stated, placing the pizza box onto the coffee table as Dan moved to sit next to Gavin on the couch. Gavin stuck his tongue out at Geoff, who faked distress as he settled into the overstuffed armchair next to the couch. 

“Well that’s fine because it’s mine and Jack’s moment, not yours. Is that pizza for everyone?” Gavin looked at Dan as he asked the question, and the other Brit nodded. 

“Geoff and I decided that neither of us were feeling like cooking tonight, and we drove past three pizza places on our way home… it was a sign. From God, Gavin. God wanted us to eat pizza.” Gavin rolled his eyes, shifting to flop back against Dan as Geoff opened the pizza box. 

“If God exists, Dan, I doubt our hunger needs are on their priority list.” Dan stuck his tongue out, and Jack chuckled as he reached for a slice. 

“Well, eating’s on my priority list. Thanks for picking up supper, guys.” Geoff shrugged, taking a slice himself and leaning back in his seat. 

“So what sort of talk did we walk into? What’s Jack not backing out of now?” Gavin took a big bite of his pizza, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he swallowed. 

“Jack’s going to teach me how to fly a plane.” Dan’s face paled at Gavin’s words, and he paused his reach towards the pizza box. 

“Are you bloody insane, Jack? Teach him to fly? He doesn’t even know how to drive!” Gavin gave an offended noise, and Dan glared at him. “Well you can’t. I’m not wrong, B.” 

“Well you don’t have to point it out, B. Besides, planes aren’t as scary as cars.” Dan groaned, and Gavin waved the hand holding his pizza in the air. “I’m serious! You’re less likely to die in a plane crash than you are in a car crash. Statistically speaking, planes are safer. I’m just saying.” Taking another bite of his pizza, Gavin huffed as he stuffed the rest of his slice into his mouth.

“So how was your date, dude?” Geoff piped up, and Gavin tilted his head slightly to smile at the older man. 

“It was lovely, Geoffrey. We went to the boardwalk and rode the ferris wheel, it was a fantastic evening. I had a great time. End of story, moving on.” Geoff smirked, leaning closer to Gavin with a look. 

“That’s a ‘something happened’ moving on. Go on Gavin, tell us what happened when you and Burnie went out.” Jack glanced at Dan, who had sunk back against the cushions and turned his gaze to the table, expression unreadable. 

“We just walked around, Geoff. Honestly. We might have kissed, but it was only once.” There was a flush crossing his cheek, and Geoff let out a whoop as he leaned back in his seat. 

“I knew he’d kiss you, he’s been crazy about you since you got here. So do you like him?” Gavin gave a small shrug, then nodded, a small smile on his face. 

“Yeah… I think I do. He’s sweet and lovely, but he’s also a bit of a jerk sometimes… he’s just the right amount of everything, I think.” Dan gave a forced smile, reaching to clap a hand down on Gavin’s shoulder. 

“I’m glad you like him, B. Maybe when we deal with Jared, you can stay here with him.” Gavin flashed him a smile, then hesitated a moment. 

“Well you’d be staying too, B. Obviously.” Dan simply smiled and nodded, though Gavin’s frown didn’t drop for a few moments as he watched his friend carefully before Jack cleared his throat.

“Speaking of Jared… we need to come up with a plan of attack for that.” All eyes turned to him, and Jack shifted back against the cushions of the couch. “Gavin, you said that this Chadwick guy is going to be coming for you, right? What should we expect from him?” Gavin frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought on Chadwick. 

“He’s not going to try and be slick about it. He’s more of a…grab you off the street and rip your thumbs off before you get to where you’re being held captive sort of bloke. And Jared’s basically given him the green light to do what he must to retrieve me, which includes killing Dan if he tries to interfere.” He looked at Dan, worry in his gaze. “Which is not going to happen. No playing the hero this time, B, okay?” Dan frowned, and Gavin’s brow furrowed some. “Promise me, Dan.” 

“Alright B. I’ll do my best not to play hero. That’s the best I can promise though.” Gavin nodded, leaning back against Dan some as Geoff gave a thoughtful hum. 

“Why does he want you back so bad anyways? I mean, he’s expending a lot of energy to try and get Gavin back, but you’re not that… impressive, buddy.” Gavin gave Geoff an offended look, and Geoff held his hands up. 

“Gavin’s actually pretty deadly behind a computer. He’s also the face of Jared’s operation; Jared’s not exactly the best when it comes to personal relations, and Gavin’s… well. B can charm just about anyone, can’t you Gav?” Gavin nodded, and Dan let an arm circle Gavin’s waist as he rested his chin on his shoulder. “Gavin’s the pretty package to make people want to work with Jared. He’s also insurance for if something goes wrong- he’s got more connections than an operator's switchboard, most of which will come after anyone who injures him. As annoying as you can be, B, people tend to like you.” Gavin gave a thumbs up, and Dan chuckled a moment before clearing his throat. “Not to mention Jared has a sort of obsession with what he thinks are his possessions...which is how he see’s Gavin.” Jack frowned, reaching to touch Gavin’s arm lightly at the expression that crossed the younger man’s face at Dan’s words. 

“I’m not though. He doesn’t own me. I’m my own person, not a possession.” Gavin spat the words, a silent fury behind his eyes at the thought of how Jared saw him. Dan tightened the arm around him, and Gavin turned slightly to look at him. “And you! He treats you like some sort of expendable soldier, some...some attack dog, it’s not right Dan. It’s not right at all.” Dan frowned, and Gavin shook his head some, placing a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “We don’t have to be trapped by him anymore, right? Neither of us. We aren’t ten any more.” Dan nodded, and Gavin’s expression softened some before he turned back to the other two men. “Chadwick will probably come for me during the day. He doesn’t have the best eyesight at night, so he likes to work in daylight… and he likes the challenge of taking someone in the middle of a crowded place. I imagine he’ll either come for me at Burns Enterprises or possibly at the Gala...Actually, probably at the Gala. It’ll be easier to get me alone there.” Geoff nodded, thinking on Gavin’s words carefully. 

“So our best bet is to make a plan for the Gala. And I don’t want either of you alone until we have this Chadwick dude dealt with. You’re to be with me, or Jack, or Burnie even. Understood?” Dan nodded, but Gavin hesitated a moment. 

“Do… can we not tell Burnie? Please?” He worried his lower lip as he turned his gaze to Geoff, then almost pleadingly to Jack. “I don’t want him to know. Not unless he get’s in danger. Please?” Jack paused, looking at Geoff, who shrugged. 

“I guess we could do that, but if Burnie becomes involved more than he already is we tell him. Fair?” Gavin nodded, and Geoff gave a thumbs up as he reached for another slice of pizza. 

“Alright. So about this plan…”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I haven't updated in forever TAT. Whoops. I started a new job and training took over my life. This is sort of a filler-inbetween action chapter and it sort of skips over a bit...hopefully it's still good!

Gavin glanced from the laminated blueprint on the kitchen table to Geoff as the older man cleared his throat, sitting beside him with a dry erase marker in hand as he circled security points. “There’s going to be a lot of guards around, Gavin. Like. A lot. You’re going to be fine.” Jack sat across from them, scanning through the lists of guests for the Gala while Dan sat silently beside him, taking down names that the older man would point out. They had been working what felt like forever on their plan, and Gavin was beginning to wonder if they were going to be able to kill Chadwick or not. Every suggestion made seemed to have a flaw in it, and it was beginning to discourage the Brit from even trying. 

“I don’t like him going in there alone though. We should have a shadow on him while we’re cornering Chadwick, Geoff.” Jack’s voice cut through the silence that had followed Geoff’s statement, and all eyes turned to the red haired man as Geoff thought his words over. 

“Ryan’s going to be there. We could have him shadow him and Burnie, keep an eye out.” Jack gave a hum of approval, and Dan turned to Geoff with a curious look. 

“Whose Ryan now?” He asked, and Gavin shifted to lean his elbows on the table, his face in his hands as he let out a small yawn. They had been up all night working, and while Geoff and Jack still seemed fairly awake, Dan and Gavin were beginning to wane some. 

“Rye’s a friend of ours. He and Jack met in college, and he does some work for me sometimes. He’s a bit of a… uh. What would you call him, Jack?” Jack gave a small frown, thinking a moment on Geoff’s question before responding. 

“Drama queen. He’s a drama queen. Guy was a theatre major, and when we got involved in the seedier side of things, he sort of… came along for the ride. He’s become a pretty efficient hitman, to be honest. Guy’s a huge dork though.” He smiled fondly, reaching to pull the list Dan had been making out of the younger man’s hand to look over. “He’ll be a good shadow though. He’s dependable, and he’s smart. I think he said he was going to stop in soon, so you’ll get to meet him.” Gavin made a small noise, shifting to lean forward over the table some as he wrung his hands anxiously. 

“I’m sure he’s very reliable, but excuse me for being a bit wary of any plan that involves me luring a man who wants to murder me into a secluded room.” Geoff snorted, and Gavin frowned as he sat up properly again, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well I’m glad you’re amused, Geoffrey, it’s not your bloody life on the line! He’s not an idle threat, he’s actually very dangerous and you don’t seem to be taking this seriously. None of you know what he can do, what he’s done to people. This isn’t just a… he’s a trained killer, he’s burned a man alive for looking at him funny.” He reached to rub his arm, his hand shaking, and Geoff reached out to still his hand. 

“I’m sorry, Gavin. It’s not fair of us to expect you to be okay with this entire plan when you’re the one in the most danger in it. We should have asked if you were okay with it before we started to plan it out.” Gavin gave a sigh, rubbing his face with his hands for a moment before looking up around the table at the three men. Jack and Dan looked concerned for him, and Geoff was still hovering as Gavin took a moment to gather himself. 

“It’s our best bet. I know it’s our best bet to get Chadwick but…” He hesitated, looking at Dan. “If we do this, if we kill Chadwick, then that’s it. There’s no going back to London, Jared’s going to be out for our blood, B. Are you ready for that? Are you sure that you want to do this? That I’m not...pushing you into it, or forcing you to do it? It’s a huge deal. A big change.” The two stared at each other for a long moment before Dan cleared his throat, moving out of his chair to sit in the empty one next to Gavin, taking the other man’s hands and rubbing his thumbs over the back of them. 

“Gavin, do you remember what I said at the gas station when we were fifteen? I’m where you are. I’m not scared to leave the UK. I just want us to be away from Jared. And I can’t say I’m particularly fond of Chadwick, it’s no loss to me if we take him out along the way. Okay? You aren’t pushing me into anything. I promise. B’s for life, remember?” Gavin gave him a small smile, and Dan grinned. 

“I hate to ruin this moment or… whatever this is, but I was told to show up for murder plans.” All eyes turned to the doorway of the kitchen to the tall blond man leaning against the door frame, brow raised as he watched the four men around the table. He wore a t-shirt and jeans, and if Gavin were less observant he would have missed the careful way the man held himself. 

“Ryan! Come on in, pull up a seat. We’re just going over the blueprints of the hotel for the Gala. Are you going to be good to shadow Gavin?” Jack nodded towards Gavin, and Ryan made his way to the table to settle in the chair on the other side of Jack to look over the blueprint himself. 

“No problem. Do you want me to be his date?” He glanced over at Gavin, who flushed slightly and sank back in his chair. Ryan was attractive for sure; but something about him was slightly off putting.

“Actually, he’s going as Burnie’s date. We don’t want Burnie to suspect that anything’s wrong, though, and it’s easier to stick you in the crowd since no one really knows you.” Ryan nodded, and Gavin shifted some in his seat as Jack held out the list of names to Ryan. 

“Oh, wait, is this the guy Burnie’s become smitten with?” Ryan asked, looking over the list carefully before handing it back to Jack. Turning his attention to the two young men seated at the table, he studied them a moment before giving a little nod. “You’re the kids that Kingston sent over? You?” Dan frowned, leaning across the chair between them to scowl at Ryan. 

“Yes. Is there a problem with us? Do we not live up to your expectation or something, mate?” Ryan’s brow rose, and Dan settled back against his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m getting real sick of people seeing us and saying that. Oh, you’re just kids, you can’t possibly be the assassins. Fuck you, mate. We’re good at what we do. Fantastic, even.” He flicked his index and middle finger up at Ryan, slumping in his chair as Gavin covered his mouth, trying not to snort. Dan had a point; every person they had encountered had underestimated them, but it generally worked out in their favor. He could understand where Dan was coming from, but truthfully he liked that people often underestimated him. It made his job easier. 

“Dan has one hundred and six confirmed kills, you know.” Ryan gave Dan a curious look at Gavin’s words, and Gavin nodded enthusiastically, eager to change the topic of conversation from their plan to Dan. “Most of them from before we were sixteen. So you really shouldn’t underestimate him. “ Ryan gave Dan a nod, and Geoff made a noise. 

“That’s a lot of kills, kid.” Dan turned to Geoff, and the older man, gave him a thoughtful look. “How long did you say you two were with Kingston?” Dan frowned, and Gavin gave a little hum. 

“Since we were ten?” Dan stated, brow furrowed in thought. Gavin shook his head, leaning forward against the table as he let out a sigh. 

“Eleven. Dad sold me to Jared when we were eleven. Why?” Geoff settled back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he watched Dan a moment. 

“It’s just interesting. The two of you are really… interesting.” Gavin frowned, but Geoff shook his head and gestured back to the blueprint on the table. “Don’t worry about that now. Right now, we need to figure out how you’re going to lure Chadwick into the hotel room we’ll be waiting in.” The group nodded, and though Gavin let the conversation be steered back to their plan, he couldn’t help but have Geoff’s words and curious gaze at the back of his mind.

+++

“You look fantastic, Gavin. I’m going to be the most envied guy at the Gala.” Gavin felt his cheeks warm at Burnie’s words, taking a moment to look himself over in the mirror that lined the wall of the hotel’s main lobby. He’d rented a grey slim fitted suit from the same shop Geoff had rented his from, and had spent nearly an hour getting ready with Dan in the Pattillo-Ramsey guest room. 

“You look lovely as well, Burnie.” He ran his hand down Burnie’s arm, taking in the sight of the older man in his classic black suit. “You really are very attractive, it’s almost unfair.” Burnie laughed, looping an arm around Gavin to take in the sight of them in the mirror.

“We’re a handsome couple, Gavin. Though you should probably relax a little, I can feel the tension in your shoulders. What’s wrong?” Gavin frowned slightly, leaning into Burnie’s touch some as he watched several Gala attendees pass by behind them. He had been on edge since Geoff and Jack had driven him and Dan to the hotel that was hosting the Gala, worried about the plan that they had finally laid out. Everything was falling into place; he had seen Ryan slipping into the hall about ten minutes previously, and Dan had already disappeared with Jack into the hall behind the hitman. He hadn’t seen Chadwick yet, though that meant nothing; they had arrived nearly half an hour before the Gala started, and there was plenty of time for the man to show up. 

“I’ve just never been to a Gala before. I suppose I’m a bit nervous is all, love.” Burnie chuckled, squeezing his arm around Gavin slightly as he leant closer, bringing his mouth to Gavin’s ear. 

“It’s going to be fine, Gav. You don’t even have to do anything except take some pictures. And I don’t even want you to do that too much, just a few promo shots here and there we can give to the media and you’ll be done.” Gavin nodded, adjusting the bag holding his camera as he rested his cheek against Burnie’s shoulder. 

“So what all does one do at a Gala like this anyways, Mr. Burns?” Burnie smiled, rubbing his hand along Gavin’s arm before waving as Gus and Matt wandered past. 

“Mostly suck up to old money and drink. I make a speech, dinner’s had and there’s a silent auction… it’s pretty basic. People donate money to look good to their peers, and the poor children of Los Santos get more food in their stomachs.” Gavin nodded, and the two men turned to head into the hall that had been decorated in golds and purples. Gavin took in the decorations, turning to Burnie to give him a look. 

“Didn’t you tell the decorator you wanted blues and silvers while I was shooting your commercial? This doesn’t look like blues and purples.” Burnie blushed slightly, reaching to rub the back of his neck as they made their way towards the table Gus, Matt, Geoff, Dan and Jack were sat at. 

“Well, I decided that purples and gold were more fitting.” Gavin hummed, flashing Burnie a smirk as they reached the table, Burnie pulling out a chair for him. 

“Burnie changed the colour scheme to something someone told him was classier. I wonder who that was.” Gus’ tone was unimpressed, and Gavin flashed him a sheepish grin as Dan reached to pour him a glass of water from the pitcher sat in the middle of the table. 

“Well you have to admit, it’s much classier than blue and silver. Thanks, B.” He nodded to Dan, picking up the glass and taking a drink as Burnie sat down beside him. Gus rolled his eyes, and Geoff gave a snort as Dan settled back into the seat beside him. 

“If you want to go with your classic overdone royalty colours I guess.” Gavin rolled his eyes, flicking some water at Geoff who laughed and waved him off. “But it looks good, Burnie. Really. Gala’s gunna go great as usual.” Burnie tipped an imaginary hat to Geoff, and beside him Jack cleared his throat. 

“There’s a lot of big names coming tonight, right? From what I saw of the list, you pretty much sold out tickets this year. That’s going to be good for the kids, there’ll be a lot of money raised.” Burnie nodded, and Jack gave him a warm smile. “That’s good. Maybe we can get the youth center that new kitchen they need.” Gavin and Dan both smiled at Jack, and Jack flashed them a grin back. 

“Hopefully we’ll raise enough to give them a few more beds, too. I’ve got high hopes for tonight’s auction, we have some really good pieces up.” As conversation fell to the items Burnie and Gus had secured for the auction, Gavin let his attention drift around the slowly filling room as he dug out his camera. Several businessmen entered with dolled up young women on their arms, and Gavin snapped a picture, before swinging his camera around to several people seated at a table a few feet away. He paused as his camera focused on a familiar face, lowering his camera some as he paled slightly. 

“Er, B, come with me to find the loo, yeah? I’m afraid I might get lost.” He nudged Dan, who rose a brow but stood, gesturing for Gavin to lead them away from the table and towards the exit of the room. Once they were outside, Gavin pulled Dan into a side room, grasping his sleeve tightly as he hurriedly closed the door behind them. 

“What’s wrong, B?” Dan questioned, brow furrowing as he placed his hands on Gavin’s shoulders to steady him. 

“Chadwick’s here. I don’t know if I can do this, Dan. I’m bloody terrified, and you know it’s not easy for me to admit that. What if I can’t do this? What if we fuck up and he catches on?” Dan frowned, slouching slightly to look Gavin in the eyes properly as he tightened his fingers on the other man’s shoulders. 

“Gavin. We’re not going to mug this up. We’re going to get through this.” Gavin frowned, and Dan’s brows furrowed. “We have Geoff and Jack and that Ryan bloke helping us. And Chadwick is out of his zone here, we’re at an advantage. What better place for you to be than in the lap of luxury? You were made for this part. And I’m not going to let him hurt you. I’m going to be close by all night. I promise.” Gavin watched Dan for a moment before nodding, and Dan gave him a small smile. “We could be that much closer to being rid of Jared tonight, B. That much closer to freedom.” Gavin gave a small smile, and Dan let his hands drop from Gavin’s shoulders, offering him his arm. 

“Now, come along Gav. You’ve got yourself a date, and you shouldn’t keep him waiting. I hear he’s a pretty big name around these parts.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, that's the last chapter besides the epilouge. I hope it wasn't too disappointing!

Burnie wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t brush aside the feeling that Gavin wasn’t having a good time. The younger man had spent a good section of dinner in silence, answering people only when directly spoken to and zoning out instead of eating. Burnie hadn't thought much on it at first; maybe Gavin felt awkward at the gala, out of place surrounded by the party goers. Or maybe he was bored and didn't know how to say that he no longer wanted to be there.

Gavin currently sat between Gus and Burnie, picking at the remaining pile of potato on his plate. Burnie noted that every so often he'd look up to watch one of the tables across from them, as though watching one of the guests carefully.

“You know, if you're not comfortable, I won't be offended if you leave, Gavin.” Gavin glanced up sharply at the comment, eyes narrowing slightly before glancing between Burnie and the table he'd been looking at all evening. Frowning, he glanced at Geoff before turning back to Burnie, watching him a long moment before gesturing for him to move closer.

“Can we talk, Burnie? Alone?” Burnie raised a brow, casting a look around the table. Gus, Matt and Geoff were chatting idly amongst themselves, while Jack cast Gavin a concerned look every few minutes. Dan had disappeared some time during the main course, though if he had gone to the washroom and gotten lost or just left Burnie didn't know.

“Sure, Gav.” Getting up, he moved to pull Gavin’s chair out for him, offering him an arm once he was standing. Gavin took it, looping his arm with Burnies as the two made their way out of the hall to the quiet corridor just outside it. When they reached a small alcove, Burnie guided the younger man back against the wall. “Alright, what's been going on, Gavin? You've been on edge all through dinner, you keep staring at the table behind us… It's like you're scared to enjoy yourself. “ he frowned, reaching to brush his fingertips over Gavin's cheek as Gavin squirmed slightly. The younger man fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment, unsure as to what to say to Burnie, before speaking.

“You said you'd like me no matter what, right? You like me enough that if I tell you something you'll listen? “ Burnie frowned, running his hands along Gavin's arms as the younger man glanced behind them towards the hall.

“Of course, Gavin. What's wrong? Are you okay?” Gavin shook his head, reaching to take Burnie’s hands. “You can tell me, Gavin. I promise.” Gavin took a deep breath, and Burnie squeezed his hands.

“Remember when we were on the ferris wheel, and you said I liked heights and I said that it was because no one can trap you if you're up high?” Burnie nodded, and Gavin swallowed hard, his gaze focusing on Burnie's tie. “In England, there's this… guy that I live with.” He fidgeted slightly; he planned on telling Burnie about Jared… sort of. He fully intended on letting Burnie believe he was fleeing England from an abusive relationship - not a complete lie, though he planned on leaving out just who Jared was.

“Like what, a boyfriend? Are you not single? Fuck, Gavin, is that what you're trying to te-” Gavin reached to cover Burnie's mouth with his hands on frustration, brows furrowed as Burnie wrinkled his nose under his palm.

“No? I'm not-he thinks he owns me, or something. Remember how I said I was stuck in a contract? He's it. I'm bloody well trapped by him, and now he's sent someone after me, someone who I think wants to hurt me.” Burnie's expression grew concerned, and he reached to pull Gavin's hand from his mouth.

“Hurt you? Gavin how is… what do you mean by trapped?” Gavin let Burnie take his hand, taking a moment to think over his answer before replying.

“In London, Dan and I live in a...a shared living space, i guess you could say. Dan can mostly go where he pleases, provided it's within the lot but I'm locked in my room most of the time.” Burnie's look became unreadable, and Gavin shifted to lean into him, watching as several emotions passed over Burnie's face. He played up his helplessness some, and was rewarded with Burnie pulling him closer.

“Fuck. And you said he's sent someone after you? Jesus, Gavin, why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell me?” Gavin frowned, reaching to curl his fingers against Burnie's chest some.

“And what would I have said? 'I know we've known each other for less than a full week but I want you to know I took this job to get away from my abuser in London and of course I'll stay another week if it means I can put off returning to my one room cell’? You'd have looked at me like I was crazy. You'd never have asked me out, that's for damn sure.” Burnie frowned, shaking his head some at Gavin's words.

“Even if I hadn't completely fallen for you the first day I met you, Gavin, I still would have helped you. That's an awful situation to be in, and I want to help. Let me help you; I'm a pretty powerful dude. Money talks and people listen.” The completely genuine tone of Burnie's voice was almost too much for Gavin, and he had to remind himself that Burnie was an international criminal as he buried his face in the older man's chest in an attempt to regain some composure.

“The man he sent to, er, get me is here. And I've already confronted him a few days ago…” he rubbed his arm some, frowning up at Burnie. “I'm scared, Burnie. He's not a good man, and he isn't just here for me, he wants Dan too.” Burnie placed a hand over Gavin's, a look of determination falling over his face.

“You show me who this guy is and I'll have him dealt with, no one's going to hurt you again, okay?” Gavin felt a warmth spread through him at Burnie's words, and he nodded against Burnie's chest.

“Okay, I'll show you when we go back inside.” Burnie nodded, and Gavin took a moment to bury his face in the older man's shoulder. “M’sorry, Burnie. I can't imagine you need this sort of drama in your life, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to see me again after this.” There was a moment of silence, and Gavin prepared himself for Burnie to tell him that he was too much trouble to try dating.

“Gavin… Everyone's got baggage. It's going to take more than a stalker to scare me off.” Gavin looked up at him, and Burnie smiled warmly. “I really like you. I want to go out with you again, get to know you.” Gavin nodded, and Burnie leant closer to brush his lips over Gavin's. “Do you want to go back now? I'll be right beside you, I promise.” 

“Yeah...Geoff and Jack might be worried.” Pulling back some, Gavin gave Burnie a shy smile. “Thank you, Burnie.” Burnie smiled, pressing a kiss to Gavin's forehead before leading the younger man back to the table.

\+ + +

“Geoff, can I talk to you a minute?” Geoff glanced up from where he'd been pouring himself a drink, brow raised at the serious look on Burnie's face. The man had been somewhat distracted since he and Gavin had returned to the table earlier, and Geoff was just a bit curious as to what Gavin had told Burnie while they'd been away from the table.

“Sure thing, boss. What's up?” Taking his drink, he let Burnie lead him away from the bar to a more secluded area of the hall. From their spot Geoff could see Matt and Gus talking to some of their more wealthy sponsors, with Gavin snapping pictures while Jack and a recently returned Dan held his camera bags.

“Gavin and I had a talk earlier that sort of worried me. I guess he has a stalker in London? Or I guess abusers more accurate, guy basically locks him in a room all day, sounds like a shitty human being. Sent some burly muscle type to bring him back. I want this guy dealt with discreetly.” Geoff nodded, glancing over at where Gavin was laughing at Jack, who seemed to have tripped over a chair.

“The guy who's been bruising him up, right? Dan's already asked Jack and I for help, he wants us to help get Gavin out of the guys reach. I figure, we could offer him a permanent job here, but our southern friend over there doesn't seem like the give up and go home type. Dan says that the dude's already killed people while retrieving them before. We might have to take him out, Burnie.” Burnie nodded, his gaze following Geoff's as he watched Gavin straighten Dan's tie with a cheerful smile.

“Whatever it takes, Geoff. Just make sure he's dealt with.” Geoff nodded, and Burnie clasped a hand on his shoulder before moving back out into the crowd, heading for the small stage that had been set up for the auction. Geoff turned to head back to where Gavin, Jack and Dan stood, draping an arm around both Gavin and Dan's shoulders to pull them closer.

“Burnie officially wants me to ’Deal with it’ so we're in the clear. I'm thinking the best time is during the auction, since it's the main event. Less people milling around outside the hall.” Gavin nodded, and Dan made a face at Geoff.

“No one says milling around any more, old man.” Geoff rolled his eyes, dropping his arm from Dan's shoulder to gently push the younger man towards Jack.

“Jack take Dan to the dining hall to set up, Ryan's already there waiting for you. Gav, you're with me.” Jack nodded, reaching to guide Dan away from where they had been standing.

“Geoff, can you promise me something?” Geoff raised a brow, and Gavin cleared his throat. “Please, Geoffrey?” Geoff sighed, running a hand through his hair as they walked.

“What do you want me to promise you?” Gavin shuffled a few steps back from Geoff, rocking on his heels nervously.

“Promise me that if something happens to me, you and Jack will take care of Dan.” Geoff's brow furrowed, and Gavin waved his hands awkwardly. “Promise me that if Chadwick gets me, Dan can stay here with you. I can't do this without knowing that he'll be okay if I'm not, Geoff. You can't let him try to get revenge.” Geoff frowned as a silence feel over them, thinking on Gavin's words. There was no doubt in Geoff's mind that if something happened to Gavin while they attempted to deal with Chadwick, Dan would lose himself in grief and try to do something stupid. He could understand Gavin's concern; their plan was pretty dangerous on Gavin's part, and there were plenty of ways things could go wrong. Gavin's concern was more than understandable, and Geoff gave a nod at his request.

“Nothing's going to happen to you, Gavin, but if it makes you feel better I promise that if something does, Jack and I will take care of Dan.” Gavin watched him a long moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied with Geoff's response.

“Thank you, Geoff. I appreciate you promising me that.” Geoff shrugged, and behind him Gavin spied Chadwick moving from the table he'd been at all evening. “We should start heading towards the dining hall, Geoff, Chadwick's on the move.” Geoff nodded, and the two men left the hall, being sure Chadwick saw them as they did.

“Security's pretty tight at these things, so I doubt Chadwick was able to bring a weapon into the gala. Burnie's a bit paranoid about security measures, not to mention our cop friend Joel. This place gets locked down tighter than Fort Knox before an event this big, so I doubt he was able to plant something before hand either.” Gavin nodded as they pushed open the door to the dining area, the large hall eerily silent in its emptiness.

“I'm less worried about what weapons he has and more worried about what he could use in here to kill me, Geoff. He's very skilled at being creative.” Geoff frowned, reaching to pat Gavin's arm lightly as he lead him towards a table, guiding him to sit before kneeling in front of him.

“Gavin, I promise you that we're going to be close by. Ryan, Dan and Jack are already set up in here, and I'm going to be with them. All eyes will be on you; we can shoot him as soon as he comes in if you want.” Gavin thought on it a moment, frowning some.

“I want him to know that we're the reason he does. I guess it's petty but… He terrorized us a lot. I want him to know that I'm going to live while he dies. That Dan's the one pulling the trigger. I know it won't matter once the triggers been pulled but… I'll feel better, you know?” Geoff nodded, and above them a throat cleared.

“Chadwick's headed this way, Geoff. Your better get up here now.” Both men glanced up towards where Jack's voice had come from, a small alcove used to fix electrical wires, completely unnoticeable from down below.

“Yeah, I'm coming. Gavin… Here. I know it's not much, but it's some protection.” He handed Gavin a small pistol, then turned to head up with the others. Gavin placed the gun in his lap, staring at the cool metal as he listened to his companions settle above him. Things fell back to silence, and Gavin shifted in his seat, on edge. An overwhelming sensation of unnatural calm fell over him, as though his entire body had gone into autopilot. His gaze drifted from the gun to the door as someone pushed it open, and he stiffened slightly as Chadwick entered the hall and closed the door firmly behind him. Turning his focused to Gavin, he gave a loud laugh before striding over to him.

“Look at you. Little Gavin Free, tryin’ to play with the big boys. What d’ya got there, boy? A pistol? What do you plan to do with that hmm? You plannin’ on killing me?” Gavin's grip tightened on the gun, and he raised it to point at the older man.

“I told you, I'm not scared of you anymore. And we aren't going back to Jared.” Chadwick snorted, and Gavin frowned as the man moved to pull a chair in front of Gavin, settling into it and leaning back.

“ I'm a little impressed, boy. Maybe I shouldn't have written you off so fast - clearly you have some balls, even if you ain't always that bright." He squinted some, as though sizing Gavin up. “That's a steady hand, even if you're terrified. And where's Daniel? Can't imagine he's too far, boys nearly attached to your hip.” Gavin's face grew stupid, and he thumbed off the safety on the gun at the mention of Dan.

“Dan's none of your business now, it’s just you and me. You don't get to ask about him.” Chadwick chuckled, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Alright now, son. Y’always did get testy over that boy, Christ, I'm surprised Jare didn't separate the two of you. Suppose Daniel would have just broken into the warehouse until he let him stay… Or until he got himself killed. But I told Jare, I said that'd be a waste of friggen god given talent. The boys just too talented with a gun. Quick as a whip on the draw, too. ‘Spose that's who you got your will to fight from, all those times you tried to fight back, hmm?” Gavin's eyes narrowed and he rolled his neck some, trying to get a read on the older man. Chadwick's entire demeanor was somewhat resigned- as though he'd accepted that Gavin was going to kill him.

“You've accepted your death fairly quickly… I'm confused.” His grip remained unchanged, his aim still true as he watched Chadwick carefully. The older man shrugged, settling his hands in his lap.

“I'm not an idiot, Gavin. Neither are you, as much as you come across as an airhead. I knew the moment Jared sent me to get you that I wasn’t going to be returning to London. I'm old, kid. I'm tired. I told Jared that the two of you were going to figure out a way to escape. He didn't want to believe he hadn't completely broken you, kid.” Gavin frowned, leaning back in his seat some as he contemplated Chadwick's words.

“You were set to kill me last time we spoke. What changed?” Chadwick leaned forward, chuckling deeply as he watch Gavin a moment.

“I've been offered a better deal than anything Jared could offer me. Retirement. A farm down in Georgia. Enough money to live out there rest of my days. No more chasing pissants around. I'm selling Jared out, kid. I got no concerned when it comes to you. So kill me, don't kill me, do whatever you want kid. I'm too old for this bullshit.” Gavin hesitated a moment, and in his hesitation a gunshot rang out in the room. Chadwick's chair scraped across the floor at force of the shot, and Gavin watched as blood blossomed over the man's chest.

“I'm not so alone now, Chadwick. And I'm sorry, but you're not going to get that farm. I'm just not able to let you go… And neither is Dan.” Chadwick coughed, blood bubbling from his lips as he slouched over some in his chair. Gavin stood, moving to kneel in front of the older man, moving to press the guns muzzle between Chadwick's eyes, the man staring at him with glassy eyes. “But you were right about Jared breaking me, really. It took coming here to see it, to realize that this was our chance at freedom. That I could have a better life. See, the thing about broken men, Chadwick? Is that we don't have much left to fear.” Gavin's words were spoken softly as he pulled the trigger, his hand trembling as he lowered the gun.

“We know there's only one way out.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The end of To Kill a King! It feels weird to finish this story. As I was re reading some of the other stories in this series I noticed a few things don't quite line up- I plan on going back and fixing those parts in the next few days. I've had a bad concussion so staring ata screen isn't too great for me right now but I'm slowly getting better so expect more soon!
> 
> Will Dan ever tell Gavin how he really feels about him? Will the traitors be dealt with? Will Geoff ever tell us what happened to the suburban house he and Jack played house in? Will my wife's kitten stop trying to eat my head? All this and more in the final arc of The Los Santos Chronicles....Traitors! (Creative title, I know)

*Six months later*

“He should be here. Burnie, what if something happened on the plane? What if he didn't make it on, or there was a hijacker, or like…” Gavin trailed off, rolling back on his heels as he watched the arrival board above their heads switch from English to Spanish. Dan's flight had landed nearly twenty minutes previous, and Gavin had been attached to his phone as he waited for a return message from his friend.

“He's probably stuck in customs, Gav. I'm sure he's fine.” Gavin turned to look at Burnie, his lips curled into almost a pout as Burnie looped an arm around his waist. “Don't make that face. Why don't we go check with security, see if they can give us any information.” Gavin hesitated, glancing back to the gate Dan should have come from.

“What if he comes out while we're gone though?” Burnie gave Gavin a soft smile, leaning to press a kiss to his temple. In the six months since the gala, since Gavin had decided to stay in Los Santos and Dan had returned to London, Gavin had slowly begun to settle into his new life. Burnie had set Gavin up with a job out of Burns Enterprise, the younger man moving in with him after Burnie had proposed a green card marriage to keep the younger man in Los Santos. 

“He has your phone number, he'll probably call you if he gets in and you aren't here.” The first few days after the gala, Gavin had hidden away in Geoff and Jack's spare room, not answering any of the calls Burnie had made in an attempt to see if he was okay. He of course had known about Chadwick's death; Geoff had called in clean up about an hour after Burnie had told him to deal with the situation, and Burnie had been the one to drive Gavin back to Geoff's house. He hadn't realized just how terrified of retribution Gavin had been until Geoff had mentioned that the younger man's abuser had been 'I don't know, I guess a big thing in the UK.’ 

“Okay. Let's go see if he's in cus-B! B, over here!” Burnie winced as Gavin screeched in his ear, ducking to avoid the younger man's frantically waving arm as he caught sight of Dan weaving through the crowd. Dan beamed as he spotted Gavin, shoving past two men in business suits to sweep the smaller Brit up into a bear hug.

“Sorry I'm late, B. They held me in customs because I brought you sweets and apparently that's suspicious.” Gavin laughed, burying his face in Dan's shoulder as Dan set him back down.

“I missed you so much, Dan.” Gavin's voice was muffled, his arms tightening around his friend as Burnie moved to take Dan's bags from where he'd dropped them.

“I missed you too, Gavin. It's not the same without you.” Burnie shifted awkwardly, nodding towards baggage claim.

“I'll just go grab the rest of your luggage, give you two a moment to catch up. Meet me out by the car?” Gavin nodded, and Burnie turned to head to baggage claim.

“How have you been? You look good, Gavin. Burnie's been treating you good?” Gavin nodded, and Dan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Good. I'm glad you're happy, B. You look happy.” Gavin smiled, reaching to squish Dan's face between his hands.

“And you? How have you been, you sausage? I've not heard from you in months and then suddenly you message that you're coming to visit. Have you been okay?” Dan gave a little shrug and Gavin frowned, pressing his hands tighter to Dan's cheeks.

“ Yeah, Gav. I've been fine, just been well busy dealing with Jared, yeah? But it's all good now. Things are in motion, and I can take care of some stuff in the UK knowing you're safe here.” He smiled widely, running his hands along Gavin's arms to pull his hand off his face. “You said Burnie's got you all set up, yeah? That's good. Are you going to be happy here?” Gavin gave a little shrug, plotting slightly.

“Yeah… But I'm gunna miss you, Dan. We've never really been apart, have we? It's weird.” Dan frowned, looping an arm around Gavin's shoulder to start leading him towards the exit of the airport.

“I'm just a phone call away, B. And we can visit each other as often as we like, both Burnie and Geoff promised. But I've got to take care of things back home. Can't trust anyone to do it right, yeah? And hey, you're a married man now, gotta stay here with the hubby.” Gavin gave a small half shrug, knowing that Dan wouldn't be satisfied with anyone else handling the Jared situation and that he had a point; a marriage of convenience was still a marriage.

“I know, I just… I'd feel better if I were with you, keeping you safe. I can't do that from halfway across the world, can I?” Dan chuckled, rifling Gavin's hair as he pressed a light kiss to the younger man's hair.

“Well I've still got work for you to do while you're here and I'm across the pond, don't worry. You're still my eyes, B.” Gavin sighed, reaching to rub the corner of his eye as they passed the sign for international arrivals. 

“Good, you'd best not replace me. Oh! Geoff's been talking about starting up a gang of his own in the next year or two. I haven't seen Jack or… Really, anyone but Geoff and Burnie and Gus, I've been so busy with things… Burnie had me working on actual movies, can you believe it! It's bloody wild!” Dan smiled as Gavin continued to ramble, taking the time to watch how the older man's eyes seemed to light up with each topic that rolled through his head. They made their way outside, Dan guiding Gavin around other pedestrians as he spoke animatedly, a soft look crossing his face as he spotted Burnie watching them, a goofy love induced grin gracing his lips as he watched Dan steer Gavin as he talked.

“B. Are you even listening to me? Dan. Hello, earth to Gruchy. “ Dan glanced at Gavin, breaking at him as he reached to rifle his hair lovingly.

“Sorry, Gav. Just thinking how lucky we are. You were saying?” Gavin gave a quirked smiled, shaking his head as he let Dan guide him into the suv, pleased with how things had ended up.

Gavin was safe, for now. Things were okay.


End file.
